A Halloween night emergency response ended with the death of an innocent pedestrian and a family left grieving the loss of a mother. Kristine Poulos, 32, was killed after an LAPD patrol vehicle struck her on Woodman Avenue in the San Fernando Valley late Saturday, October 31, 2026. She was pronounced dead at the scene.
The collision happened around 11:30 p.m. in the 6100 block of Woodman Avenue, near Bessemer Street in Valley Glen. Poulos’ family later identified her as the woman who lost her life in the crash.
The police officer involved was responding to an emergency call when the cruiser hit Poulos. Authorities said the vehicle had its emergency lights and siren activated. The patrol car belonged to the Los Angeles Police Department’s North Hollywood Division.
The call that prompted the response involved a large Halloween gathering at a house on Weddington Street in Sherman Oaks. Police had received a report of shots fired and encountered an estimated 300 people at the property. Additional officers were sent to assist with the situation, and the gathering was eventually dispersed without reported injuries.
But several miles from that party, the emergency response had already taken a tragic turn. Poulos was struck by the police vehicle and died at the scene. No officers were injured in the collision.
The crash also happened during rainy weather, leaving roads wet in the area. Investigators have not confirmed whether the conditions contributed to the accident. The precise circumstances surrounding the impact remain under investigation.
Beyond the circumstances of the crash, Poulos’ death has left her family with an enormous personal loss. She was a mother of two young daughters, according to reports from her family. The girls have now lost their mother in a sudden tragedy that has changed their lives.
Her sister, Naomi Portillo, has since appealed to the public for financial assistance with funeral and burial expenses. The family launched a fundraising effort to help cover the costs and ease some of the financial pressure during an already painful period. Portillo explained that their immediate concern is giving Kristine the peaceful burial she deserves.
The family’s fundraising appeal reflects the difficult position relatives often face after an unexpected death. While they try to process their grief and make arrangements, they must also deal with expenses that come without warning. For Poulos’ loved ones, those responsibilities now come alongside the painful task of explaining her absence to her two daughters.
Meanwhile, the LAPD’s Multidisciplinary Collision Investigation Team is reviewing the fatal crash. Investigators are working to establish the events that led to the collision, including the circumstances surrounding the officer’s emergency response.
For Kristine Poulos’ family, the most painful part of this story is not simply how the crash happened. It is that a 32-year-old mother who had two young daughters waiting for her will not be coming home. Her family now faces the difficult work of laying her to rest and finding a way forward without her.
Incident location: 6100 block of Woodman Avenue, near Bessemer Street, Valley Glen, Los Angeles, California.