A pre-dawn single‑vehicle crash on the westbound Ventura (134) Freeway where it crosses the Golden State (5) Freeway, just east of the Los Angeles Zoo in Griffith Park, left a driver dead Friday and briefly turned the early commute into a crawl as emergency crews shut down lanes.
The crash was reported about 6:05 a.m. Friday, and the driver was pronounced dead at the scene, according to MyNewsLA, which cited the California Highway Patrol.
A SigAlert was issued at 7:05 a.m. and extended at 9:00 a.m., with two westbound lanes of the 134 at the Golden State Freeway closed while investigators and tow crews cleared the wreck, according to the California Highway Patrol. Westbound traffic stacked up to Glendale Avenue during the closures, snarling drivers trying to get across the interchange.
Where the collision occurred
The crash happened at the Gene Autry Memorial Interchange, where SR‑134 crosses I‑5, an area of tight ramps and limited shoulders near the LA Zoo and the Autry Museum. The interchange's configuration and heavy commuter volumes can stretch out clearance times when collisions occur, as outlined by California Highways.
Traffic impact and response
Two lanes stayed shut for several hours while tow trucks and emergency crews worked the scene, and delays bled into the midmorning commute, with backups again reaching Glendale Avenue, according to the California Highway Patrol. Motorists were urged to steer clear of the area and give space to responders until all lanes could reopen, MyNewsLA reported.
CHP investigators are still working to determine what led to the crash and have not publicly released the driver's identity. Anyone with information is asked to contact the agency's Los Angeles communications center, according to the department's traffic page.
