Woman killed, another woman and two children hurt in La Habra car crash

Posted on May 21, 2016 by Brian Day

LA HABRA >> A woman died in a two-car crash that left another woman and two children injured late Friday, police said.
The fatal collision took place about 9:50 p.m. at Harbor Boulevard and Arbolita Street, La Habra police officials said in a written statement.
“Officers arrived and located a traffic collision involving two vehicles,” according to the statement. “Two adult females from one vehicle and two children from the second vehicle were injured.
All four injured people were taken to hospitals, where one of the women ultimately succumbed to her injuries, authorities said. Her identity was not released Saturday.
Further details regarding the circumstances of the crash were not available.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the La Habra Police Department Traffic Unit at 562-383-4300.

Man killed in head-on crash between car, truck in Glendora

Posted on May 18, 2016 by Brian Day

GLENDORA >> A man died in a head-on crash between his car and a big rig hauling asphalt in Glendora early Wednesday, officials said.
The crash took place about 8:20 a.m. on Sunflower Avenue, just south of Juanita Avenue, Glendora police Lt. Matt Williams said.
“Officers arrived and found a gravel truck was on its side,” Williams said. “It came to rest in the northbound lanes, and resting in the front yard of a residence.”
A badly damaged 1990s-model Acura Integra sat nearby, with a male driver trapped inside, the lieutenant said.
Initial investigation indicated the Acura was driving on the wrong side of the road when it collided head-on with the asphalt-hauling Peterbilt truck, he said.
“Witnesses relayed the driver of the Integra was traveling northbound in the southbound lanes and collided with the gravel truck, traveling southbound on Sunflower Avenue,” Williams said.
Paramedics pronounced the man, estimated to be in his 20s, dead at the scene, Williams said. The truck driver was uninjured, and was “fully cooperating” with investigators.
The identity of the Acura was to be determined by coroner’s and released pending notification of his family.
The intersection remained shutdown into the afternoon as officials investigated the scene, and cleaned up the wreckage and spilled asphalt.
The investigation remains ongoing.
Anyone with information can reach Glendora police at 626-914-8250.

Pasadena teen killed in solo-car crash near Rose Bowl

Posted on May 8, 2016 by Brian Day

PASADENA >> A 17-year-old Pasadena boy died early Sunday in a solo-car crash near the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, authorities said.
The crash took place about 2:50 a.m. as the teen was driving a 2002 BMW 330i south on West Drive, Pasadena police officials said.
“The driver lost control of the car near Seco (Street) and struck a light pole,” police said in a written statement. “The driver and sole occupant of the car sustained fatal injuries as a result of the collision.”
Pasadena Fire Department paramedics pronounced the young man dead at the scene, officials said. His identity was not released.
Officers from the Pasadena Police Department’s Major Accident Investigation Team are investigating the cause of the crash.
Anyone witnesses, or anyone with information, was asked to contact Pasadena police Lt. Pete Hettema at 626-744-7159, or the on-duty watch commander at 626-744-4620.

San Bernardino woman in bizarre, viral Rowland Heights car crash video sought after skipping court

Posted on March 29, 2016 by Brian Day

ROWLAND HEIGHTS >> A San Bernardino woman accused of abandoning a stolen car while high on drugs, allowing it to roll downhill and into opposing traffic in a bizarre Rowland Heights crash captured on a viral dashcam video, is now a fugitive after skipping out on her court date last month, officials said.
Jasmin Lacey, 23, faces charges of driving under the influence of drugs, hit-and-run with a runaway car, auto theft, taking a car without the owner’s consent and driving without a valid license in connection with the Sept. 1 crash along Harbor Boulevard, between Vantage Point Drive and Pathfinder Road, Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office spokeswoman Sarah Ardalani said.
But Lacey failed to appear for a Feb. 10 arraignment hearing scheduled in the Los Angeles County Superior Court’s West Covina branch, she said.
“A bench warrant was issued for her arrest,” Ardalani said.
•Video: Bizarre Rowland Heights crash
The strange series of events, which resulted in no injuries, was captured on another driver’s dashcam. The video, posted on YouTube, has since garnered more than 4.9 million views.
In the video, the driver of a 2010 Hyundai Sonata — later identified as Lacey — suddenly slams on the car’s brakes, bring the car to a halt, and exits the vehicle. The driver then walks down the center median with a casual stride as the abandoned Hyundai rolls downhill and across opposing traffic lanes.
California Highway Patrol officials said the car struck an SUV. A second SUV also became tangled in the wreck before the Hyundai ultimately struck two trees and came to a stop.
After being found in the area, Lacey appeared extremely intoxicated and provided no explanation for her alleged actions, CHP Officer Armando Perdomo said at the time.
She was initially arrested, but released from custody pending further investigation as officials awaited the results of blood tests, according to Perdomo and Los Angeles County booking records.
Prosecutors filed charges Feb. 5, records show.
The two auto theft-related crimes Lacey is charged with are felonies, Ardalani said. The three additional charges of hit-and-run, DUI and driving without a license are misdemeanors.

Fiery big rig crash on 210 Freeway severs brand new Gold Line route between Pasadena, Arcadia

Posted on March 6, 2016 by Brian Day

PASADENA >> Less than one day after commuters rejoiced in the long-anticipated opening of the expanded Gold Line light-rail route connecting Pasadena to Azusa, a fiery big rig crash early Sunday brought the trains to a halt between the Allen and Sierra Madre Villa stations in Pasadena and the newly-operational Arcadia station, officials said.
The big rig driver suffered minor injuries after he lost control of his tractor-trailer shortly before 3 a.m. on the westbound 210 Freeway at Madre Street, California Highway Patrol Officer Monica Posada said.
But the powerful impact sent the truck smashing through the center median and into the divider, where the Gold Line tracks sit.
The big rig quickly became “fully engulfed” in flames, according to CHP logs.
The driver was able to walk away from the crash, Posada said.
The carpool lane and the two left-hand lanes of the westbound 210 Freeway were expected to remain closed through Sunday afternoon, according to the CHP and Caltrans.
Crews cleared the still-hot wreckage and debris from the roadway and median about 11:30 a.m., Metro officials said. A Metro crew worked to assess the extent of the damage to the train tracks.
The extent of the damage to the tracks themselves was not immediately clear.
Shuttle buses carried passengers between the affected train stations, Metro officials said in a written statement.
“Trains are running every 15 minutes between Union Station and Allen Station and every 15 minutes between Arcadia Station to APU/Citrus College Station,” the statement said. “If looking for an alternative one-seat ride, Foothill Transit’s 187 Bus runs between Azusa and Old Pasadena with stops in Duarte, Irwindale, Monrovia and Arcadia.”
The crash severed the Gold Line route between Pasadena and the San Gabriel Valley just one day after an estimated 30,000 riders crowded onto trains following a ceremony Saturday morning to commence operation of the new route.
The 11.5-mile Gold Line Foothill Expansion connects Pasadena to Azusa.

PHOTO courtesy of the Pasadena Fire Department

UPDATED: Sheriff’s patrol car involved in crash in Covina

Posted on February 28, 2016 by Brian Day

COVINA >> No significant injuries were reported after sheriff’s patrol car and a black sedan collided in a Covina intersection Sunday afternoon, officials said.
The collision took place about 1:50 p.m. at Covina Boulevard and Citrus Avenue, Los Angeles County sheriff’s Sgt. Jorge Chavez said.
The deputy involved in the crash, who is assigned to the sheriff’s San Dimas Station, was taken to a hospital as a precaution, but she did not appear to have suffered any significant injuries, Covina police Sgt. Tom Tardif said. A man at the wheel of the other car — a Chevrolet Monte Carlo — was also hospitalized as a precaution, but appeared OK.
Tardif said witnesses relayed that the Monte Carlo drove through a red light as it headed south on Citrus Avenue, colliding with the patrol car, which was heading east on Covina Boulevard.
The deputy was not using of the patrol car’s emergency lights or siren when the crash occurred, Chavez added.
A photograph of the crash aftermath showed the patrol car with moderate front-end damage, and the black sedan with moderate damage to the passenger side.
No citations or arrests had been made as the investigation continued, Tardif said.

PHOTO courtesy of John Recendez

UPDATED: 3 killed in 5 Freeway crash in Commerce blamed on alleged street racer from Whittier

Posted on February 27, 2016 by Brian Day

CITY OF COMMERCE >> A Whittier man was street racing when he triggered a fiery six-vehicle crash that claimed three lives and left two other people seriously injured on the 5 Freeway in Commerce early Saturday, authorities allege.
Dealio Lockhart, 35, is accused of vehicular manslaughter in connection with the 12:01 a.m. wreck on the southbound 5 Freeway, just north of Triggs Street, according to California Highway Patrol Officer Doris Peniche.
Two men and one woman died in the crash, Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner-Coroner officials said. Their identities were not available Saturday.
Both directions of the 5 Freeway remained shut down through Saturday afternoon and were expected to remain off-limits through Sunday morning as officials investigated the scene and cleared the wreckage.
Lockhart was at the wheel of a Dodge Challenger in the No. 2 lane, “while racing a Dodge Charger travelling in the No. 1 lane,” Peniche said in a written statement.
He tried to pass a slower moving vehicle when he lost control and struck the side of UPS tractor-trailor driving in the right-hand lane, the officer said.
“The impact caused the tractor trailer to lose control and collide into the center median and then became airborne, hitting a gray Nissan and shearing the top of the Nissan off,” Peniche said.
The truck continued out of control, coming to rest on top of a red Ford Explorer that had been heading northbound on the 5 freeway, according to the CHP.
“The tractor-trailer immediately became engulfed in flames,” Peniche said.
Debris from the collision also struck a Chevrolet Tahoe and Chevrolet Silverado in northbound traffic lanes.
The driver of the burned truck was pronounced dead at the scene, along with a man and woman who were inside the badly mangled Nissan, according to CHP and coroner officials.
Two other people were hospitalized at Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center with “major” injuries as a result of the crash, Peniche said. Two other people were reportedly treated for minor injuries.
The Dodge Charger Lockhart was allegedly racing and its driver, were not found.
According to county booking records, Lockhart was being held in lieu of $1 million bail at the Inmate Reception Center in Los Angeles pending his initial court appearance, scheduled Tuesday in Los Angeles Superior Court.
He has no prior criminal history listed in Los Angeles County Superior Court records.
The freeway was expected to remain closed through Saturday night, or even Sunday morning, as workers carried out barrier repairs and repaved the damaged roadway, Caltrans officials said.
Anyone witnesses, or anyone with information is asked to contact the CHP’s East Los Angeles area office at 323-980-4600.

PHOTOS courtesy of Caltrans

Man killed in collision between motorcycle, SUV in West Covina

Posted on February 21, 2016 by Brian Day

WEST COVINA >> A man died after his motorcycle collided with an SUV in a residential neighborhood in West Covina late Saturday, officials said.
The fatal crash took place just after 8:30 p.m. in the 1600 block of East Vine Street, West Covina police Lt. Dennis Patton said.
The identity of the motorcyclist, described as a man in his 20, was not available Sunday morning. Paramedics pronounced him dead at the scene.
Initial investigation indicated the SUV made a turn into a residential driveway when the motorcycle collided with the passenger side, Patton said.
The cause of the crash remained under investigation, he said. The driver of the SUV cooperated with police, and there were no overt signs of intoxication.
Witnesses or anyone with information can reach the West Covina Police Department at 626-939-8500, or the department’s 24-hour voicemail tip line at 626-939-8668.

UPDATED: Monrovia man killed, Pasadena man accused of DUI in 134 Freeway crash

Posted on February 21, 2016 by Brian Day

PASADENA >> A drunken driver ran from the scene of an early-morning crash on the 134 Freeway in Pasadena that left a Monrovia man dead, authorities said.
Eduardo Macias, 24, of Pasadena was found and arrested about two hours after the 1 a.m. crash on the eastbound 134 Freeway, just west of Orange Grove Boulevard and the 210 Freeway, California Highway Patrol officials said in a written statement.
Killed was a 41-year-old Monrovia man, officials said. His identity was not released Sunday.
Officials responded to reports of a multi-vehicle wreck and found a crash involving three vehicles, described as a 1998 Toyota, a 1992 Toyota and a 2016 Honda, according to the CHP.
Pasadena Fire Department paramedics pronounced the driver of the 1992 Toyota dead at the scene, officials said. Two 18-year-old women inside the Honda were treated for injuries not believed to be serious.
The driver of the 1998 Toyota — later identified as Macias — fled from the scene on foot, according to the CHP statement.
CHP officers found and arrested Macias about two hours later, CHP Officer Monica Posada said.
After examination at a hospital, Macias was expected to be booked for felony drunken driving, she said. Additional charges, such as hit-and-run, may be sought by prosecutors later as well.
Officials initially shut down all eastbound lanes of the 134 Freeway as they investigated the crash scene.
Lanes gradually began reopening shortly before 2 a.m., according to the CHP.

La Habra man killed, two others injured in solo-car crash

Posted on February 20, 2016 by Brian Day

LA HABRA >> A 20-year-old La Habra man died and two others were seriously hurt in a violent solo-car crash early Saturday, authorities said.
Paramedics pronounced Miguel Martinez Jr. dead at the scene of the 12:15 a.m. crash on westbound La Habra Boulevard, just west of McPherson Street, according to Orange County coroner’s officials.
He was believed to be a passenger in the Nissan Maxima, which veered to the right side of the road and sheared off a fire hydrant before striking a small tree and a large palm tree, La Habra police Lt. Dan Henderson said.
“Everyone in the vehicle was ejected,” he said.
The driver and a second passenger of the car, both described as La Habra men in their late-teens to early-20s, were hospitalized.
“Out last update from the hospital is that they are in serious-but-stable condition,” Henderson said.
The cause of the crash remained under investigation, police said in a written statement. “However, speed and failing to wear safety belts are contributing factors.”
The cause of the crash remained under investigation, police said in a written statement. “However, speed and failing to wear safety belts are contributing factors.”
La Habra Boulevard remained shut down in both directions until 7:30 a.m. as police carried out their investigation.
Anyone with information regarding the crash is asked to contact the La Habra Police Department Traffic Unit at 562-383-4300.

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