A 51-year-old Lebec woman was killed early Saturday morning when her car veered off southbound Interstate 5 near Lake Hughes Road in Castaic, climbed a dirt embankment and rolled over, ejecting her onto the freeway. The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner's Office has since identified the driver as Kelly Lewis, and investigators say neither alcohol nor drugs are suspected as factors in the crash.
The California Highway Patrol reported the crash happened around 6:23 a.m. on September 12, according to The Legal Examiner. CHP investigators said Lewis's vehicle left the roadway, climbed the dirt embankment and rolled over, throwing her from the car. When CHP units arrived, they found the overturned vehicle resting on the right shoulder and located Lewis in the number one lane. Los Angeles County Fire Department personnel pronounced her dead at the scene.
The Medical Examiner's Office identification and the update that drugs and alcohol weren't suspected came via KHTS Radio, which reported that callers with information should provide it to Officer R. Bivins. Anyone with information about how or why the vehicle departed the freeway is asked to contact the Newhall office at (661) 600-1600. The exact cause of the roadway departure remains under investigation, according to the same report.
An Active Construction Zone Along the Same Stretch
The crash occurred in the middle of an active, multi-year Caltrans project. Overnight lane and ramp closures have been scheduled on southbound I-5 at Lake Hughes Road throughout mid-September as part of a $61.15 million pavement rehabilitation effort, per SoCal511. The project, being carried out by contractor Griffith Company, began in May 2024 and is expected to run through winter 2027, according to the same source.
It's not yet established whether construction conditions played any role in Saturday's crash — that remains part of what investigators are examining. The ongoing project adds broader context to the question of why Lewis's car left the roadway in the first place.
A Familiar Stretch of Freeway
A Familiar Stretch of Freeway The article does not provide verified details about other fatal crashes near this stretch of freeway.
The CHP Newhall Area Office investigated Saturday's I-5 crash. The article does not detail how responsibility is divided for surface-street collisions. The Castaic corridor is also one of the busiest in the state, carrying an average of 197,000 vehicles a day as a key freight link between Los Angeles and the Central Valley, according to Caltrans data.
Why Ejections Turn Deadly
Why Ejections Turn Deadly Occupant ejection and rollovers can make crashes especially dangerous. This article does not include specific national 2024 fatality figures.
The crash adds to concerns about safety along this corridor. The article does not provide details of other recent crashes along the corridor.
CHP's investigation into what caused Lewis's vehicle to leave the roadway continues, with officers still working to determine whether speed, roadway conditions or vehicle condition contributed to the crash.
