A road closure was reported by the Whittier Police Department.
The Whittier Police Department's Traffic Bureau automatically responds to and investigates every fatal crash within its jurisdiction, a process that requires crash sites to be preserved for several hours so officers can complete detailed field evidence collection, according to the agency. Patrol officers' initial scene reports are then forwarded to the Traffic Bureau, which determines fault and handles charges in hit-and-run collisions.
On October 5, a driver lost control along Norwalk Boulevard at Slauson Avenue, striking pedestrians and killing 39-year-old Zenia West before crashing into a burger restaurant, according to the Law Offices of Christian Contreras.
A Corridor With a History of Crashes
The intersection of Norwalk Boulevard and Orange Drive was the site of a reported traffic collision that emergency services responded to in August 2025, according to dispatch logs reviewed by LAIT911.
Under California Vehicle Code Section 22350, motorists are required to drive at a speed that is reasonable and prudent for traffic conditions, a standard that is often central to fault determinations in fatal collision investigations, per BojatLaw. Research cited by the National Transportation Safety Board indicates that excessive speed is a primary contributing factor in roughly 30 percent of fatal traffic accidents nationwide, matching alcohol impairment as a leading cause of traffic deaths, according to Hanning & Sacchetto, LLP.
City and County Data Show Broader Safety Concerns
The crash comes as Whittier works through a federally funded Safety Action Plan, which the city began developing in May 2026 using Safe Streets and Roads for All program money from the Federal Highway Administration to reduce roadway fatalities and serious injuries citywide. The initiative uses what the City of Whittier describes as a Safe System Approach to address risks for drivers, pedestrians, and cyclists.
State figures lend context to the local push. According to 2022 data from the California Office of Traffic Safety, Whittier recorded 315 total fatal and injury victims from traffic crashes, ranking 54th out of 104 comparably sized incorporated California cities. Countywide, Los Angeles County Department of Public Health data shows that traffic collisions in unincorporated areas of the county caused an average of 88 fatalities annually from 2015 through 2024, with drivers accounting for 53.5 percent of victims and pedestrians comprising nearly 30 percent.
Department Faces Jurisdictional Shift Ahead
The investigation also comes as the Whittier Police Department prepares for a major organizational change. Neighboring Santa Fe Springs announced in April 2026 that it will end its policing contract with Whittier by February 2028, according to Los Cerritos Community News.
The person killed in Monday's collision was 39-year-old Zenia West, and the cause remained under investigation.
