Family of ex-Napster exec fatally struck by sheriff’s patrol car sues

Family members of an entertainment lawyer killed after being knocked off his bicycle by a patrol car filed a wrongful death lawsuit Wednesday against the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department.

The lawsuit filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court accuses the department and the deputy driving the patrol car of negligence.

Milton Olin Jr., 65, was riding in the bicycle lane on Mulholland Highway in Calabasas last December when he was struck from behind by a patrol car driven by Deputy Andrew Wood, said Bruce Broillet, an attorney for Olin’s wife and two adult children.

The actions of Wood and, by extension, the Sheriff’s Department, subjected Olin to “unreasonable and substantial risk of injury or harm,” according to the lawsuit.

The Sheriff’s Department declined to comment Wednesday afternoon, citing the pending litigation.

At a Wednesday news conference, Broillet said the Sheriff’s Department has refused to turn over evidence, such as the patrol car and the black box from the vehicle, according to a transcript of the news conference.

“We also want transparency from the Sheriff’s Department. We want to know the details. We want all the evidence,” Broillet said. “This is taking too long. The family is entitled to see all the evidence,” he added.

Olin, a former executive with the online file-sharing service Napster, suffered fatal head trauma and numerous other injuries from the accident.

Olin and the deputy were heading east on a single-lane road when they collided in the bike lane, officials previously told The Times. The Sheriff’s Department submitted an accident report to the district attorney’s office in May.

An autopsy determined that Olin died of multiple blunt-force injuries.

Chris Olin, 30, addressed the loss of his father at the news conference, according to the transcript.

“Losing a loved one is never easy,” he said. “We’re still grieving and struggling with this enormous loss.”

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