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Los Angeles Police Detective Thrown From Motorcycle and Killed

Sunday, July 29, 2007

By Melissa MacBride

LOS ANGELES, July 29, 2007 (KABC-TV) (KABC) -- A frightening scene on the 101 Freeway: A chain-reaction crash early this morning, and an off-duty LAPD detective is killed. Traffic was tied up for several hours on the Hollywood Freeway near the Highland exit. There were still lingering problems on the freeway more than 13 hours after the accident. Eyewitness News Reporter Melissa MacBride has the latest on the crash and the veteran officer killed in the wreck.

The accidents happened within seconds of each other, as an independent photographer was rolling. Drivers don't realize they're driving through the aftermath of a fatal collision involving an LAPD motorcycle officer until it's too late.

Other cars hit the wreckage of the motorcycle and continue the chain-reaction crash. Several people even get out of their cars on the freeway. One man is nearly hit as yet another car spins out. Eventually CHP officers arrive on scene.

One passenger describes what happened: "We didn't really know what to do there," said Allen Martar, a passenger involved in the incident. "It was like, 'Bam,' first one hit, 'Bam,' then the next one -- it was really crazy."

The LAPD says 53-year-old Detective George "Mike" Selleh was killed on impact. His motorcycle hit a Toyota Corolla that first crashed into the center divider. The impact scattered debris across all lanes of the 101 Freeway. CHP says 13 cars were involved, and the length of the accident itself stretched more than a quarter-mile.

Detective Selleh was off-duty and on his way downtown to work security on a movie set.

His fellow officers at the Mission Station were trying to cope with the loss of their friend.

LAPD Capt. William Scott: "When something like this happens to one of your people, when you have to tell your co-workers, it's tough to deal with."

"You always pay attention to the little things," said LAPD Lt. Tom Zak. "He [Selleh] went out of his way to make sure people knew that he cared about what they were doing and how they were being treated."

Detective Selleh joined the LAPD in 1978. He'd worked Narcotics for the past 17 years. His co-workers remember him as an optimist dedicated to his job.

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