By Lookout Staff

January 14, 2025 -- An SMPD traffic services officer (TSO) was injured early Monday morning by a hit-and-run driver who was attempting to gain access to evacuation areas that had been shut down.

The driver -- identified as Walter William Larkins IV, 37, of Malibu -- was following two National Guard vehicles at around 6:45 a.m. that were turning from Ocean Avenue onto California Avenue headed toward Pacific Coast Highway (PCH), police officials said.

Northbound California toward PCH is closed to vehicular traffic and only accessible by emergency vehicles during the Pacific Palisades fire, officials said.

Witnesses said they saw "a dark green Toyota Highlander" follow the National Guard vehicles that were traveling northbound in the southbound lanes of Ocean Avenue, said SMPD spokesperson Lt. Erika Aklufi.

The vehicle was attempting "to gain access to evacuation areas in violation of the shutdown," Aklufi said.

The traffic officer "approached the Toyota and signaled it needed to stop," she said. "The TSO approached the vehicle and attempted to explain to the driver he was not authorized to pass through the checkpoint."

The driver "did not follow the order and instead continued through the barrier, driving over the TSO’s foot as he left," Aklufi said.

Officers monitoring the broadcast of the vehicle description utilized the department’s network of Flock cameras to locate the vehicle in the 2200 Block of Pico Boulevard.

"The officers conducted a traffic stop of the vehicle and confirmed through statements from the passenger it was the striking vehicle in the hit-and-run," Aklufi said.

Larkins was arrested for felony hit and run, because it resulted in injury to a person, according to police.

He was also booked for driving the wrong way on a divided highway, illegally traversing a cone pattern and unlawful disobedience of traffic directions by an official.

The traffic officer was transported to a local hospital to receive treatment for a soft tissue injury. The incident remains under investigation.

Anyone with information related to the incident should email Investigator Raleigh at Evan.Raleigh@santamonica.gov or call SMPD's non-emergency dispatch line at 310-458-8491, or the Watch Commander 24 hours a day at 310-458-8427.