Richard Cartier, Monique Muñoz’s uncle, was flanked by family members and city officials, including Councilwoman Katy Yaroslavsky, in dedicating the new sign. (photo by Edwin Folven)

The city of Los Angeles installed a sign on March 6 at the intersection of Olympic Boulevard and Overland Avenue in tribute to Monique Muñoz, a 32-year-old woman who was killed on Feb. 17, 2021, in a collision caused by another driver who was speeding.

The sign reads “Watch Your Speed, In Memory of Monique Muñoz” and was placed on a street pole facing eastbound drivers. The stretch of Olympic Boulevard just west of the Beverly Hills border is a known location where people speed, city officials said. The sign is intended to remind motorists of the danger of speeding, which is something that would have aligned with Muñoz’s values, her uncle Richard Cartier said.

“Monique was always about safety. She was always about making sure she was caring for the people. And this, I believe, is one way of her saying, ‘My sign’s up, please look out, watch, keep safe, because I want you to go home safely. Not this tragedy that happened to me’,” Cartier said.

Muñoz, who worked at UCLA Health, was driving home from her job on Feb. 17, 2021, when her Lexus sedan was struck by a Lamborghini SUV estimated to have been traveling at more than 100 mph. The Lamborghini was driven by Brendan Khuri, who was 17 at the time of the collision. Khuri, the son of Beverly Hills Businessman James Khuri, was arrested and charged as a juvenile, and admitted last April to one count of vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence. He was sentenced to seven to nine months in a juvenile probation camp – the longest sentence available because he was tried as a juvenile – and four years of probation. An $18.8-million civil settlement was reached with the Muñoz family after the sentencing.

The city of Los Angeles and the Muñoz family worked together on the sign. A Rainbow Halo, which is a small device that projects a rainbow of colors on the ground when sunlight shines through them, is also fastened to the streetlight, as part of the previous tribute to the victim. Steps from the streetlight, another memorial, previously placed at the site by the family, also pays tribute to Muñoz.

In the wake of the collision, the Los Angeles Department of transportation added a left-turn stoplight at the intersection. City officials also lowered the speed limit on that stretch of Olympic Boulevard from 40 mph to 35 mph.

Los Angeles City Councilwoman Katy Yaroslavsky, 5th District, said Muñoz’s death was a tragedy and called the problem of speeding “frustrating.”

“It’s a beautiful monument, but it doesn’t bring anyone back,” Yaroslavsky said. “We have to prioritize people’s lives over getting places a couple of minutes faster.”

Yaroslavsky said she plans to launch a study of intersections in the district with the highest number of collisions, and will work on them one-by-one to make them safer. She also pledged to reexamine the red light camera system, which was discontinued in 2011 by the city of Los Angeles. The city of Beverly Hills continues to use red light cameras, and Yaroslavsky said it is worth considering whether they could prevent collisions.

“We’re going to be focusing on making intersections safer for pedestrians and people outside of cars,” Yaroslavsky said. “I’ve asked DOT to give us an informal report back on red light cameras. I think that there’s an opportunity to reform how we use them and bring them back. We stopped using them because of a settlement, a litigation settlement, but I think we can use them if we come up with a fair way of doing it.”

Damian Kevitt, founder of the advocacy organization Streets Are For Everyone, said he hopes the sign will be effective in reducing speeding in the area. Kevitt was struck by a motorist and severely injured in 2013 while riding his bicycle in Griffith Park. He has since dedicated his life to improving safety for pedestrians and cyclists.

“In February of 2013, I was hit and pinned underneath a car and dragged nearly a quarter of a mile from the streets of Griffith Park onto and down the 5 Freeway at freeway speeds. My right leg was ripped off and about 20 pounds of flesh in two minutes, so I speak to you not only understanding what it means to make streets safer, but what it means to be impacted by traffic violence,” Kevitt said. “We are here in remembrance of Monique Muñoz, whose life was tragically taken. And I think it’s so appropriate that the sign says specifically, ‘slow down, watch your speed.’ What is sad is 312 lives were lost [in collisions in L.A.] last year. This is the highest recent record in over 20 years. This is a public health crisis that is happening on our streets of Los Angeles, primarily as a result of speeding. It’s not just stats. Just realize, it’s not just numbers.”

Cartier thanked supporters and said the message is simple, “slow down, put your cell phone down, watch your mirror.”

“[Monique] believed in love. She believed in family, she took care of her parents on both sides. She believed in God, she believed in education. She believed in kids, she believed in love. That’s what she stood for, and [we] embrace that right now,” Cartier said. “She’s giving that blessing, love to the community over here on this side, and it’s never going to go away.” of probation. An $18.8-million civil settlement was reached with the Muñoz family after the sentencing.