A woman in her 60s was struck and killed while walking on Hertel Avenue Friday morning by a Buffalo police officer responding to a call.
Captain Jeff Rinaldo, in a news briefing outside the department's D District station on Hertel Avenue, said the officer is cooperating in an internal investigation. Rinaldo extended condolences to the woman's family.
"At approximately 6:33 (a.m.) while responding to a call for service, one of our officers - a six-year veteran of the force - was involved in a traffic accident at the intersection of Hertel and Tennyson, where a female in her 60s was struck and is now deceased."
The victim's name was not released but Rinaldo said the pedestrian was a neighborhood resident who was known for taking regular walks in the area.
Police did not release the name of the officer. Rinaldo would only say he works out of the D District and was the lone occupant of his police vehicle, a Dodge Charger.
Hertel Avenue was closed between Delaware Avenue and Homer Street for much of the morning.
The department has contacted the Erie County District Attorney's Office and the New York State Police Accident Investigation Unit, the latter of which will piece together details of what happened Friday morning.
"It determines exactly where she was, where she was struck," Rinaldo said. "It'll determine the direction of travel and speed of the vehicle. At this point, I would only be guessing to give you those kinds of details."
Police say their officer is cooperating fully in the investigation.
