Fiery Multi-Vehicle Crash Claims Life on Golden State Freeway
Tuesday, April 25, 2017
LAFD Spokesperson: Brian Humphrey
One person died, a dog perished and ten people were injured in a fiery multi-vehicle collision on the southbound Golden State Freeway near Griffith Park on April 25, 2017.
Photo Credits:
Creative Commons Licensed For Your Use: LAFD Photo | Harry GarvinLOS ANGELES-
A multi-vehicle collision with fire that snarled traffic on the Golden State Freeway near Griffith Park, claimed the life of one person and injured ten others, one critically, Tuesday morning. A dog also perished in the flames.
At 10:57 AM on April 25, 2017, the Los Angeles Fire Department was notified of a traffic collision with fire on the southbound Golden State (I-5) Freeway south of Zoo Drive. The incident's proximity to the City of Glendale brought automatic aid from the Glendale and Burbank Fire Departments.
Firefighters from Glendale and Los Angeles arrived quickly to find an eight vehicle collision, which included two big rigs, one hauling a cargo trailer, the other a bulk liquid milk tanker - with the tractors of both vehicles, as well as the cargo trailer, heavily involved with fire. Damaged vehicles and debris were scattered across both sides of the freeway's damaged concrete center divider.
Rapidly surveying the scene, which stopped all southbound traffic, firefighters from the two agencies rapidly identified patients and removed or protected them from harm, as their colleagues extended multiple hose lines to battle the intense flames. As the patient count rose, additional ambulances were summoned, as were extra fire engines from the three agencies to shuttle water to the inferno.
Multiple lanes of the northbound freeway were also closed, as ambulances and additional responders staged their vehicles and equipment to triage, treat and transport ten persons ranging in age from 22 to 71, who sustained minor-to-moderate injury, including one 27 year-old woman who was critically injured. One other person and a pet canine from the burning trucks proved beyond help, and died at the scene.
As teams of firefighters fought the flames and rendered medical care, their colleagues quickly diked the water runoff from firefighting efforts, so as to assure no contamination entered the Los Angeles River adjacent to the freeway.
Twenty-five Los Angeles Fire Department personnel under the command of Assistant Chief Andrew Fox, with the assistance of Glendale and Burbank firefighters, extinguished the flames in approximately 20 minutes.
Firefighters remained at the scene for more than three hours to assist the California Highway Patrol and Caltrans in their investigation and management of the collision's aftermath. While several of the northbound freeway lanes were soon opened for traffic, southbound travel was curtailed for nearly eight hours, as vehicles and debris were removed, the median barrier temporarily repaired, and the roadway inspected by transportation officials.
A positive identification of the dead person, to include the cause, time and manner of their death, will be determined by the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner-Coroner.
The collision remains under investigation by California Highway Patrol Officers assigned to the Central Los Angeles Area Office.
Dispatched LAFD Units: E56 T50 E250 BC2 RA76 RA86 RA60 RA6 EM12 EM2 CM42 RA850 SQ21 RA850
Incident Photo Gallery
Incident Photo Gallery
