A 60-year-old Beverly Hills resident was struck and killed by a garbage truck on Dec. 11 near the intersection of 3rd Street and Almont Drive in what investigators called a tragic accident.

Los Angeles County Coroner’s Office investigators identified the victim as Flora Kohanbashiri. The incident is being investigated by the Los Angeles Police Department’s Multi-Disciplinary Collision Investigation Team, which investigates all collisions involving city vehicles that result in fatalities or serious injuries.

“It was a tragic situation,” said Det. Charles Walton. “It was very unusual in that a whole series of events occurred that led to the collision.”

Walton said the victim had parked north of 3rd Street and was crossing the busy thoroughfare at approximately 8 a.m. on her way to visit a fruit and vegetable truck that was parked on Almont Drive, in the neighborhood just south of Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.

At the same time, a city of Los Angeles Bureau of Sanitation garbage truck was attempting to turn onto Almont Drive from 3rd Street, but was unable to complete the turn because of parked vehicles on Almont Drive.

The driver began to back up at the same time Kohanbashiri is believed to have stepped off the curb, striking her. She was later pronounced dead at the scene.

“He had to back up a couple of feet and reposition to finish the turn, and before he backed up, she walked out to cross the street,” Walton added. “It’s an accident. We are required to present [information from] all fatality accidents to the district attorney’s office for review.”

Walton said the truck was equipped with a rear-facing camera, side mirrors and a warning signal that sounds when the truck is in reverse. Walton said a telephone pole at the corner may have blocked the driver’s view of the victim.

“[The driver] was very distraught,” Walton added. “We searched the area and found a couple of witnesses. The cause is undetermined at this time.”

Walton said investigators would be re-interviewing witnesses and are asking for anyone who witnessed the collision to contact police.

The detective added that investigators will conduct a complete inspection of the truck, including all mechanical systems, before concluding the investigation. There is no timeline for a report on the incident.

“We believe she was very close to the truck when it backed up — within a foot or two — and that’s why the driver didn’t see her,” Walton said. “She was crossing 3rd Street and walking southbound. We are not sure if she was in an unmarked crosswalk or not.”

Walton said there is no marked crosswalk at the intersection. However, all corners where two streets intersect are considered “unmarked crosswalks,” and vehicles are required to yield to pedestrians.

“For her to step out right when the truck was backing up was very unfortunate,” Walton added.

Anyone with information about the collision is urged to contact the LAPD’s Multi-Disciplinary Collision Investigation Team at (213)486-0690.