In a late-night tragedy, the 405 Freeway in Costa Mesa became the scene of a multiple-vehicle accident that claimed the life of one individual. The collision occurred just before midnight on Tuesday near Harbor Boulevard, as reported by NBC Los Angeles. The southbound stretch of the freeway was closed, causing significant disruption to overnight traffic, with lanes only beginning to reopen on Wednesday morning.
The California Highway Patrol has yet to release the details surrounding the cause of the crash, or the identity of the victim. However, all southbound lanes were forced to shut down temporarily, which was confirmed by the CHP and detailed in a City News Service report, as cited by FOX LA. Further compounding the traffic woes, the freeway did not fully reopen until after 9 a.m., causing the regular influx of morning commuters to slowly navigate the congested roadways.
According to NBC Los Angeles, the stretch of freeway near Harbor Boulevard was the epicenter of the crash, with at least seven vehicles being involved in the incident. The debris and disarray of the aftermath led to extensive investigative work by authorities, which in turn, lengthened the duration of the traffic interruption.
The lone fatality was a man in his 50s. ABC7 covered the crash from the air, depicting the chaotic scene with several cars strewn across the shut-down freeway lanes.
