One person was killed after a wrong-way driver crashed into several vehicles on the 5 Freeway in Pacoima early Thursday morning, prompting officials to temporarily close the southbound lanes.
The crash occurred just before 2 a.m. when a vehicle traveling southbound in the northbound lanes slammed into another vehicle near the Van Nuys Boulevard off ramp, according to the California Highway Patrol’s traffic incident log.
A driver in a Mercedes-Benz was pronounced dead at the scene, CHP Officer Joel Ortega said.
The victim was described as a man between the ages of 25 and 30 years old, the Los Angeles Times reported.
The other driver involved in the crash was also trapped following the collision, Ortega said.
Emergency crews were able to free the person, who was taken to a local hospital in unknown condition.
It was unclear which vehicle was traveling in the wrong direction.
A SigAlert was issued for the closure of the northbound lanes following the crash.
Authorities were diverting traffic off the freeway at Van Nuys Boulevard.
The lanes reopened just before 5:30 a.m., the CHP tweeted.
SIGALERT CANCELLATION IN ARLETA: NB I-5 AT VAN NUYS BLVD., ALL LANES ARE OPEN
— CHP PIO – LA County (@CHPsouthern) January 26, 2017
