What began as a Halloween night ended in heartbreak for the family of 32-year-old Kristine Poulos, who was struck and killed by a Los Angeles Police Department cruiser while crossing a street in the San Fernando Valley. The deadly collision happened late Saturday, October 31, 2026, leaving her family struggling to come to terms with a loss they never expected.
Poulos was struck at approximately 11:30 p.m. in the 6100 block of Woodman Avenue, near Bessemer Street in the Valley Glen area of Los Angeles. Her family later identified her as the woman who died in the crash. She was 32 years old.
According to authorities, the officer behind the wheel was responding to an emergency call when the patrol vehicle struck Poulos. The cruiser, assigned to the LAPD’s North Hollywood Division, had its emergency lights and siren activated at the time of the collision.
Emergency crews arrived at the scene, but there was nothing more they could do. Poulos was pronounced dead at the location. No police officers were reported injured.
The emergency call that sent officers toward the area involved a large Halloween house party on Weddington Street in nearby Sherman Oaks. Police had received reports of gunfire and requested additional assistance after encountering a crowd estimated at around 300 people. The gathering was eventually dispersed, and no injuries were reported at the party.
Rain had also left roads wet across parts of Southern California that night. However, investigators have not established whether the weather played any part in the fatal collision. Questions about the moments leading up to the impact remain under investigation.
The loss has left Poulos’ family facing an especially difficult time. Her family has said she leaves behind two young daughters, who must now grow up without their mother. The sudden nature of her death has added to the pain of relatives trying to understand how an ordinary night ended in such a devastating way.
Her family has also started raising money to cover funeral and burial expenses. Her sister, Naomi Portillo, appealed for support, explaining that the family wants to give Poulos the peaceful burial she deserves while dealing with the financial burden left by her unexpected death.
The LAPD’s Multidisciplinary Collision Investigation Team is examining the circumstances surrounding the crash. Investigators are expected to establish exactly how the collision happened and what factors, if any, contributed to it.
For those closest to Kristine Poulos, however, the investigation cannot change what happened that night. A mother has been taken from her two young daughters, and a family is left facing a future without someone they loved. Her death has turned what should have been another Halloween weekend into a painful memory they will carry for years.
Incident location: 6100 block of Woodman Avenue, near Bessemer Street, Valley Glen, Los Angeles, California.