Lamb Was Sacrificed In Protection Ceremony For Man Killed In Bizarre 5 Freeway Crash
GLENDALE (CBSLA.com) — A lamb was sacrificed in a ceremony to protect a Burbank man five days before he died in a bizarre crash on the Golden State (5) Freeway, where his body was found several feet up in the air on the ledge of the Colorado Street sign.
Richard Pananian, 20, was pronounced dead at the scene of the Friday morning crash. He was ejected from his Ford Fiesta - which rolled several times - and was launched more than 20 feet into the air. He then landed on the freeway sign.
Authorities say he was not wearing his seat belt.
The unusual nature of Pananian's death is "ironic" considering a sacrifice that was performed for him the Sunday prior, his cousin Armen Kardashian wrote in a GoFundMe page.
"A week ago today on 10/25 the family had done what is called a 'matag' [sic] or a lamb sacrifice for Richard to protect him from harm and evil," Kardashian wrote. "In the Armenian culture sacrifices are done when someone escapes death, as Richards life was once spared."
Kardashian said that he never saw his cousin in a car without a seat belt.
"I find it ironic that 5 days after this offering to God, not only did God choose to take this young mans [sic] life, but decided to make such a spectacle of it," Kardashian wrote.
The GoFundMe page had raised more than $13,000 as of Nov. 3.
