La Brea Avenue was closed for approximately four hours on Monday between 3^rd and 6^th streets after a collision between a motorist and an officer from the Los Angeles Police Department’s West Traffic Division.

An SUV and an LAPD patrol car collided at the intersection of La Brea Avenue and 4th Street on Monday morning. (photo by Edwin Folven)

The incident occurred shortly after 7 a.m. at La Brea Avenue and 4^th Street. The officer was driving south on La Brea Avenue in a marked patrol car when the driver of a Nissan SUV traveling in the opposite direction allegedly turned left in front of the officer, said Sgt. Ben Zucker, with the LAPD’s West Traffic Division.

The officer was on duty but was not responding to an emergency when the accident occurred. The collision caused the Nissan to roll over onto its side.

“It looked really bad when I first pulled up, but there turned out to be only minor injuries,” Zucker said.

The officer was taken to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center where he was treated and released. The unidentified female driver of the other vehicle told authorities she was suffering from neck pain, and was taken to the hospital in stable condition.

The unidentified officer has been with the department for more than five years, and was assigned as a traffic collision investigator, Zucker added. Alcohol or drugs are not believed to be a factor in the accident. La Brea Avenue was reopened at approximately 11 a.m.