Six people were transported to hospitals Saturday morning after a two-vehicle crash at Ventura Boulevard and Densmore Avenue in Encino left an SUV perched on the sidewalk and a traffic light pole knocked down. The crash was reported around 11:30 a.m., triggering a traffic shutdown on Ventura Boulevard while investigators worked the scene.
Video from the scene showed a car that had struck a traffic light pole, along with what appeared to be an SUV up on the sidewalk, according to NBC Los Angeles. One of the six people transported died, while details about the conditions of the five injured people were unavailable, the station reported.
Ventura Boulevard runs through Encino. A city planning document concerning the Providence Tarzana Medical Center project is available from the Los Angeles City Clerk. The San Fernando Valley Car Accident Guide discusses broadside and left-turn collisions at high-traffic intersections.
A Corridor With a History of Multi-Vehicle Wrecks
Saturday's crash adds to the corridor's documented history. The same intersection of Ventura Boulevard and Densmore Avenue has also seen tragedy before: in May 2008, a suspected drunk driver struck a vehicle stopped at a red light there, killing two people, per a report from Bisnar Chase Personal Injury Attorneys.
The available reports did not identify any localized safety upgrades along Ventura Boulevard or their intended effects. It remains unresolved whether speed, impairment, or a signal violation played any role in Saturday's collision, and investigators had not released a cause as of Saturday afternoon.
Emergency Crews Respond, Investigation Falls to Valley Traffic Division
Emergency crews responded, and six people were transported to hospitals. The available reports did not identify the responding fire station, any Multi-Casualty Incident threshold or procedures, or the hospital destinations.
The available reports did not specify whether Encino has a dedicated police station, where patrol and booking operations for the area are based, or whether any reward would apply to this crash. The San Fernando Valley Car Accident Guide says the LAPD's Valley Traffic Division handles surface-street collisions in several Valley communities, but it does not specifically establish jurisdiction for this crash.
Part of a Pattern Along the San Fernando Valley Corridor
Encino has also had other reported traffic incidents. Hoodline previously reported on a fatal predawn 101 crash in April. Saturday's collision adds another entry to that list, with traffic on Ventura Boulevard shut down as investigators processed the scene and worked to determine what caused the two vehicles to collide.
