Man Charged With Killing Firefighter In DUI Crash To Face Judge

VENICE, CA – A man charged with drunk driving and killing a firefighter near Venice will face a hearing to determine if there is enough evidence to move forward with a trial today. Benjamin Albert Seider, 23, allegedly struck a vehicle carrying three Georgia firefighters, killing one of them and injuring the other two at the intersection of Ocean Avenue and Washington Boulevard, said Lt. Joseph Sanchez of the Los Angeles Police Department's Pacific Division.

The crash, which occurred in April of this year, killed Ron Herens, 23, of Powder Springs, said coroner's Assistant Chief Ed Winter. Herens was ejected from the vehicle while a passenger, Winter said. The other two firefighters were taken to hospitals, one for treatment of a possible broken collarbone and hip, and the other for lacerations sustained in the crash, Sanchez said.

A couple in the third car involved in the accident were not hurt, he added. Witnesses at the scene told NBC4 that Seider ran a red light at 80 to 100 miles per hour when he crashed into the firefighters' vehicle. The firefighters were part of a large group visiting from Georgia on vacation in the Los Angeles area.

City News Service and Patch staffer Emily Holland contributed to this post; Image via Shutterstock