Who was Darrell Cunningham? Off-duty LAPD officer killed along with fellow passenger in suspected case of drunken driving
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Officer Darrell Cunningham Shamily, a four-year veteran of the Los Angeles Police Department was killed in a car crash along with his front-seat co-passenger on November 4.
Authorities stated that the accident took place when a suspected drunk driver sped through a red light in Northridge and slammed into their vehicle, according to the Los Angeles Times.
The deceased officer was off-duty when the crash that killed him and the unidentified passenger took place, around 1.15 am near Roscoe Boulevard and Lindley Avenue, police said during a news conference.
A San Bernardino County sheriff’s deputy, who was also off-duty, was riding in the backseat of Cunningham's car and was injured in the accident. He has been transported to a hospital and undergoing treatment.
LAPD Chief Michel Moore called the incident an act of “senseless violence” by the driver of the other vehicle.
“These were all individuals who were known to each other as lifelong friends,” he said, adding that the department would do everything possible to support "Cunningham's fiancee, two young boys, mom & two brothers.”
Today, we mourn the loss of Police Officer II Darrell Cunningham, Serial No. 43884, West Los Angeles Area. While off-duty, he and two passengers were involved in a traffic collision at the intersection of Roscoe Boulevard and Lindley Avenue at approximately 1:15 AM. pic.twitter.com/jku0jj4C0p
— LAPD HQ (@LAPDHQ) November 4, 2023
Who was driving the vehicle that killed Darrell Cunningham?
The driver of the speeding vehicle responsible for the crash, 20-year-old Brian David Oliveri, was injured in the accident and transported to a hospital.
Officials suspect that he was driving under the influence of alcohol at the time of the collision based on preliminary evidence.
Oliveri was in his black BMW and is believed to have been driving at more than 100 mph down Roscoe Boulevard, when he ran a red light at Lindley Avenue and crashed into Cuunningham's white Infinity, stated the investigators.
An unidentified female was present in the front passenger seat of Oliveri's car, she was able to exit the vehicle on her own after the crash.
“All others were trapped because of the force and the level of damage created by this horrific collision,” said Moore. Oliveri and the San Bernardino County sheriff’s deputy were freed by LA Fire Department personnel using the Jaws of Life.
All three survivors are being treated at a nearby hospital, and Oliveri's condition seems to be critical.
Darrell Cunningham worked the overnight shift at LAPD’s West LA station
The deceased officer was remembered by Moore as "hardworking, honest, a person you can go to get the job done, with a great attitude."
"As a department, we’re grieving today, but we will work through this and will hold the line, and we’ll work in tribute to the reputation that he held and the work that he did in protecting the citizens of this great city.”
Stating that he did not consider the crash to be an accident, Moore added, "You don’t drive down Roscoe Boulevard at over 100 mph through a red tri-light as an accident. That’s willful and gross negligence and criminality, in the sense of reverence for other people’s lives."