Off-duty LAPD officer riding motorcycle dies in ‘tragic accident’ in Porter Ranch

An off-duty LAPD officer on a motorcycle was killed in a traffic collision in Porter Ranch on Thursday evening, police said.

The officer, identified as 34-year-old John Gasparyan of Canyon Country, was taken to a hospital, where he died of his injuries, said Officer Mike Lopez, a spokesman for the Los Angeles Police Department.

The collision was reported just before 7 p.m. near the intersection of Tampa Avenue and Chatsworth Street.

Lopez said a preliminary investigation found that Gasparyan was riding southbound on Tampa Avenue when he collided with a car ahead of him making a U-turn in the opposite direction

“Right now, it appears to be a tragic accident,” Lopez said. “However, investigators will be on scene trying to determine who was at fault.”

The driver remained at the scene after the crash and was cooperating with detectives, Lopez said.

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UPDATES:

Sept. 22., 5:50 a.m.: This article was updated with the identity of the officer.

This article was originally published on Sept. 21 at 11:05 p.m.