In a tragic accident late Monday night, one individual lost their life when a vehicle took a deadly plunge off the 118 Freeway and ended up in the backyard of a Mission Hills residence. The California Highway Patrol reported the incident occurred just past 11 p.m. on the 10000 block of N. Burnet Avenue, according to NBC Los Angeles.
The car careened off the roadway and down an embankment before coming to a rest in a residential backyard. The driver was pronounced dead at the scene, while two other passengers reportedly fled the scene before authorities arrived, leaving behind a scene of surreal stillness, illuminated only by the flashing lights of emergency vehicles and a somber moon. "It was not clear if drugs or alcohol were a factor in the crash," CHP said, as noted by NBC Los Angeles, indicating an ongoing investigation into what led up the horrific event.
Footage from the scene showed the significant damage to the vehicle, which narrowly missed a swing set in the backyard, suggesting a stroke of luck that no residents were outside at the time of the crash. The mangled car was noted to have landed right-side up on the grass but perpendicular to the highway, indicating the force with which the vehicle departed the freeway. This detail was captured in a video report by ABC7.
A neighbor has claimed that this is not the first time an accident of such nature has occurred in the area, which suggests a recurring danger point along this stretch of the freeway. Meanwhile, crews were seen towing the damaged car from the yard, a task that caused slight disruptions to the traffic flow around the crash site as captured by freelance media firm KNN and reported by KTLA. The identity of the victim has not been disclosed as of yet, and it remains uncertain whether the passengers who vacated the premises will be located or come forward as the CHP continues to investigate the cause and circumstances of this fatal crash.
