Driver Killed, Multiple People Hurt In Fiery Multicar Wreck In Reseda; Street Racing Possibly Involved
RESEDA (CBSLA) — Investigators with the Los Angeles Police Department say that two vehicles, a black Mini Cooper and a black BMW, were traveling at a high rate of speed northbound on the 7600 block of North Corbin Avenue around 8 p.m. Sunday night causing a fiery and fatal multi-vehicle crash.
The 28-year-old man driving the BMW was pronounced dead at the scene and at least two other people were seriously injured. Two people were taken to local hospitals with non-life threatening injuries, police said. No names were released.
Investigators say that the two vehicles may have been street racing when the accident occurred. Some neighbors who witness the crash and the aftermath say there's little doubt that they were racing.
"They were clearly racing. They were going about 80 mph," Lisa Gilbert, who witnessed the accident, told CBSLA's Hermela Aregawi.
The fiery collision involved at least nine vehicles.
According to Los Angeles police, a BMW was speeding down Corbin Avenue when the driver lost control. His car crossed into oncoming traffic and slammed head-on into another vehicle.
Home security video caught the exact moment of the initial crash, with a big burst of flames as the two cars collided. Officials believe that the blaze of fire was caused when the engine block from one of the vehicles was separated during impact.
The impact then sent the BMW slamming into a parked car, police said. The BMW then struck a fourth car which was traveling south on Corbin Avenue.
Another five parked cars were also damaged by the chain-reaction crash, police said.