Archived as originally published. Information reflects the date of this article.
SHREVEPORT, La. — A 75-year-old woman was struck and killed by a Shreveport police vehicle Tuesday night on Greenwood Road, according to police.
Chief Wayne Smith said Evelyn Alexander was crossing the roadway near the middle of the block when she was hit. The crash did not occur in a marked crosswalk, Smith said, though bus stops are located on both sides of the street.
Police said a city bus had stopped on the north side of Greenwood Road, while Alexander was on the south side of the street and appeared to be crossing toward the bus stop at the time of the collision.
The officer involved was responding to a call for service, police said. The department’s Crash Investigation Unit is reviewing the incident, and the officer has been placed on administrative leave while the investigation continues. Smith said the officer will be away from duty for some time to process what happened.
Tuesday night’s crash is not the first pedestrian fatality involving a police vehicle on Greenwood Road. In 2021, Valeria Parker Sims was struck and killed while walking from a grocery store in the 4100 block of the roadway.
Sims’ daughter, Jasmine Grigsby, said she believes distracted driving contributed to her mother’s death. She referenced body camera footage that appeared to show the officer looking down inside the vehicle moments before the crash.
“They should pay more attention in their cars than we should,” Grigsby said. “We can’t be all on cell phones and computers while we’re driving. They shouldn’t be able to do that either.”
Chief Smith said there have been four pedestrian crash fatalities in Shreveport so far this year. He said distracted or inattentive driving is a leading factor in many of those incidents.
“My big message for our community is safety, safety, safety,” Smith said.
The investigation into Alexander’s death remains ongoing.https://www.ktbs.com/community/pedestrian-killed-by-shreveport-police-vehicle-investigation-underway/article_230f7a8b-f152-44f1-bcbb-d589bdd71698.html