A former chief operating officer of the online file-sharing service Napster was killed when he was struck by a sheriff’s patrol car while riding a bicycle, authorities said Monday.



Milton Everett Olin, Jr., a 65-year-old entertainment lawyer from Woodland Hills, died in the Sunday crash.

The incident happened about 1 p.m. in the 22000 block of Mulholland Highway, Los Angeles County sheriff's Lt. Michael Williams said.

Olin died at the scene and the deputy involved was taken to a hospital for treatment of minor injuries, he said.

The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said Olin and the patrol car were traveling in the same direction on Mulholland Highway in suburban Calabasas when the collision occurred. The cause of the crash was under investigation.

In addition to once serving as a top executive for Napster, the 65-year-old Olin was a prominent entertainment attorney for Altschul & Olin LLP, which he co-founded.

"Milton Olin Jr. was a brilliant entertainment lawyer, blessed with razor sharp wit, warmth and integrity," wrote Michael MacRitchie, a founding partner of MGI Entertainment, where Olin worked, in a press release.

Prior to Napster, Olin worked for A&M Records as vice president of business development and was responsible for signing artists and acquiring music rights.

Napster was a pioneer in online music sharing, leading to lawsuits by Metallica and other acts in 2000. The suits eventually forced a settlement that required Napster to evolve into a pay-for-use service that became something of a model for today’s streaming companies.

Olin was a bike enthusiast and workers at a bike shop in Woodland Hills recalled him fondly.



"He was a friendly guy, had a smile on his face, always joking around,” said David Kooi, the shop’s owner, who manages Santa Monica Mountains Cyclery in Woodland Hills, where Olin got his wheels checked recently.

"He loved being on the bike, loved everything about it," said Mike Park, the manager of the bike shop.

Rhonda Bedikian, Olin’s former client, was in shock.

“He was just such a vibrant man, so full of life and such a great sense of humor!" Bedikian said.

A single white bike, called a ghost bike, marks the spot where Olin's life ended.

"You were the best I could have ever hoped for,” wrote Olin’s son, Geoff, with a photo on Facebook. “Life was good and I love you. We all do."

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