A suspected wrong-way driver crashed head-on into another vehicle Friday afternoon on Newhall Ranch Road in Santa Clarita, killing at least one person and closing a busy stretch of the roadway. The collision was reported around 2:40 p.m. between Rye Canyon Road and Copper Hill Drive. Deputies shut down the area while traffic investigators combed through the debris, and officials had not released any names as of Friday evening.
Investigation under way
The crash appeared to be a head-on collision involving a wrong-way driver, according to MyNewsLA. At least one person was pronounced dead at the scene, and authorities said it was not immediately clear whether anyone else was injured. Investigators were still working to piece together what happened in the moments leading up to the impact as they documented the wreckage.
Road has seen multiple serious collisions
Parts of Newhall Ranch Road have already seen deadly crashes this year. In February, a late night collision on the corridor killed two people, according to SCVNews. At that time, the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff's Station asked anyone who witnessed the earlier crash to come forward as traffic investigators worked to reconstruct what happened.
City planning documents have also looked at potential widening and realignment projects for segments of Newhall Ranch Road, reflecting ongoing concern about safety along the route.
How to help investigators
Anyone with video or information about Friday's collision is asked to contact the Santa Clarita Valley Station's traffic office at 661-260-4000, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. Detectives said they will review any footage or surveillance that might help clarify the sequence of events and urged witnesses to come forward.
Officials said they expect to release additional information as it becomes available, according to MyNewsLA. We will update this post when the sheriff's office or county coroner provides new details.
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