Tragedy struck early Sunday morning on the southbound 5 Freeway in Boyle Heights, where a devastating collision claimed the life of one person and left 15 others injured. According to ABC7, a semi-truck was involved in the collision with multiple vehicles just south of 4th Street at approximately 5 a.m.
Caught in the blaze, at least one vehicle was reported on fire, although the Los Angeles Fire Department has confirmed the fire has been extinguished. The crash resulted in severe front-end damage to nine vehicles, as reported by the ABC7 news team that arrived at the scene. The details surrounding the cause of the crash have not yet been disclosed, and the investigation is currently ongoing.
The Los Angeles Fire Department's alert offered additional details, stating that 16 people were initially reported as injured from the incident. Following assessments, the LAFD confirmed that 15 individuals required medical attention, with 10 being transported to local hospitals. The extent of their injuries remains unknown.
As a result of the crash, the California Highway Patrol issued a SigAlert and announced a hard closure of the southbound 5 Freeway at 4th Street, disrupting traffic until the late morning hours. The freeway was closed, stretching between 4th street and the SB 10 freeway connector, according to information provided by the Los Angeles Fire Department's subsequent update. They have referred all media inquiries related to the investigation to the CHP.
The community awaits further updates as officials work to piece together the circumstances that led to this devastating event. The CHP continues their investigation into what caused the crash, and further information will be shared with the public in due course.
