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Wrong-way crash in Hawthorne under investigation
A wrong-way driver traveling southbound in the northbound lanes of the 405 Freeway in Hawthorne caused a multi-vehicle crash early Tuesday, killing one person.
HAWTHORNE, Calif. - A fatal wrong-way collision on the northbound 405 Freeway in Hawthorne left one person dead and forced an hours-long freeway closure early Tuesday morning.
What we know:
The incident began around 12:50 a.m. when the California Highway Patrol received initial reports of a person driving a black sedan southbound at 80 mph in the northbound lanes near Imperial Highway.
Just one minute later, an officer confirmed that a collision had occurred just south of Rosecrans Avenue.
According to officials, the impact left one vehicle disabled in the HOV lane and another on the right shoulder, where it caught fire.
Video from the scene showed the extensive wreckage on the shoulder, with at least two damaged vehicles on the roadside along with an ambulance with red lights flashing as it departed the scene.
Authorities confirmed that one person died at the scene.
What we don't know:
Officials have not released the identities of the victim or the driver of the wrong-way vehicle.
Investigators have also not determined whether alcohol, drugs, or a medical emergency played a role in causing the person to drive into oncoming traffic.
It's unclear which vehicle the victim was traveling in or whether anyone else was injured.
The Source: This report is based on information provided by the California Highway Patrol, alongside video evidence captured at the crash scene showing vehicle wreckage and emergency response efforts. City News Service contributed.