Multi-Car Crashes in Los Angeles’ San Fernando Valley Leave One Dead, Many Injured
The San Fernando Valley just north of Los Angeles saw two separate multi-car collisions along Ventura Boulevard last month. A three-car crash in Woodland Hills left five people injured, while an accident involving seven cars in Tarzana resulted in the death of the woman driving the first car which was hit.
A three-car crash occurred in Woodland Hills on the evening of December 26th near the intersection of Ventura Boulevard and Oakdale Avenue. One of the cars involved in the accident jumped the curb and crashed into the side of a Bank of the West building. Five people were injured in the accident; three were listed in critical condition after the accident and the other two were reported as being in fair condition. The Jaws of Life® had to be used to get one of the crash victims out of the vehicle.
Ten days earlier, late in the evening of December 16th, a woman died in a seven-car pileup at Ventura Boulevard near Vanalden Avenue in Tarzana. A woman in a 2003 Saturn Ion was rear-ended by a 1999 Ford Taurus as she was stopped at a red light, preparing to enter the onramp to the 101 South. The force of the collision propelled her vehicle forward into four other vehicles in front of her, and a fifth car next to her was also sideswiped in the accident. The woman in the Saturn was pronounced dead at the scene. Three people were treated and released at the scene, and the driver of the Taurus was taken to the hospital.
The driver of the Taurus reportedly left the scene on foot to purchase a six-pack of beer at a nearby store and then returned to the scene. He was drinking beer when the officers arrived. No arrests were made, however, and the accident is still under investigation. It had not yet been determined if the driver of the Taurus had been drinking before the accident, and it may be difficult to know based on blood alcohol content since he consumed alcohol after the accident, but other aspects of the investigation may turn up more facts. It is also possible that mechanical problems could have led to the crash. Although accident reconstruction is still underway, it is clear that the Taurus must have been traveling at a high rate of speed to cause such a forceful impact.
