A 77-year-old Atwater Village man was killed early Friday morning, June 19, in a crash on the southbound Golden State (I-5) Freeway near Griffith Park, authorities said. Multiple southbound lanes were shut down for hours, snarling the pre-dawn commute. The victim was identified as Hossein Safaie of Atwater Village. Another person was taken to a hospital with injuries that officials have not yet described.
According to the California Highway Patrol, cited by The Eastsider LA, the collision was first reported at about 2:56 a.m. A SigAlert for the southbound lanes followed at 3:22 a.m. and was canceled at 5:55 a.m. The cause of the crash has not yet been determined, and investigators remained at the scene into the morning.
Griffith Park stretch already on safety radar
The busy section of the Golden State Freeway near Los Feliz and Griffith Park has seen serious wrecks earlier this year. In January, a separate multi-vehicle crash on this corridor killed a 25-year-old driver and sent several others to local hospitals, according to The Los Angeles Times, renewing concerns about safety on that stretch of I-5. As with similar incidents, traffic investigators typically look at factors such as speed, vehicle condition and any available video.
Probe continues into early-morning fatal crash
The Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner identified the victim as Hossein Safaie, 77, of Atwater Village, according to The Eastsider LA. The California Highway Patrol is leading the investigation and has not released additional details about what may have contributed to the crash.
Authorities say the inquiry is ongoing and that more information will be released when it becomes available. This story will be updated if officials provide new details.
