A family’s effort to raise funds for funeral and burial expenses for a 32-year-old woman fatally struck by a police cruiser heading to a call on Halloween night had gathered more than $5,100 Thursday.
The pedestrian, identified by her family as Kristine Poulos, was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash, which occurred at about 11:30 p.m. Saturday in the 6100 block of Woodman Avenue, near Bessemer Street in Van Nuys, according to the Los Angeles Police Department, which reported that the cruiser had its lights and siren activated at the time.
“Right now, we are asking for support so we can give Kristine the peaceful burial she deserves,” the victim’s sister, Naomi Portillo, wrote on Gofundme.
She promised the funds would be used for funeral and burial expenses and to ease the financial burden on Polous’ family, saying the emotional toll “has been devastating for our family.”
“This loss has deeply hurt me, my sister and my mother’s sister,” Portillo wrote. “Nobody deserves to pass this way, and we are still trying to process the pain of what happened.”
A department spokeswoman said details about the emergency call were not immediately available, but multiple media outlets reported that the vehicle was responding to a call of shots fired at a rowdy Halloween party in Sherman Oaks.
Police broke up the party, but it was unclear if any evidence of gunfire was found.
A witness reported hearing a thud and seeing Polous down. Police said the woman was crossing he street when struck by a unit from the LAPD’s North Hollywood Division.
It was unclear whether rainy conditions at the time played a role in the collision.