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Crash Victim Ejected From Vehicle, Lands On Freeway Sign In Glendale

GLENDALE (CBSLA.com) — A driver, who died in a bizarre car crash on the southbound Interstate 5 in Glendale Friday morning, has been identified as 20-year-old Richard Pananian of Burbank.

Shortly before 7:30 a.m., firefighters were sent to assist officers at Colorado Street, just north of the 134 Freeway, for report of a single-car fatal collision, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department.

Upon arrival, emergency responders learned the victim was ejected from his Ford Fiesta, which rolled several times.

The force of the rollover apparently launched the victim more than 20 feet in the air, causing him to land on the ledge of the Colorado Street sign.

Pananian was pronounced dead at the scene. According to the California Highway Patrol, he was speeding while driving along the shoulder of the freeway. The CHP said Pananian's car clipped the back of another vehicle before it flipped, and he was not wearing a seat belt.

"I got home from school, called my cousin to see if he wanted to hang out later, and he told me about what happened," the victim's friend Andrew Panosian said. "It's hard to believe that he's gone."

"Always wear your seat belts. It's a lifesaver. Wear your seat belts. Don't drive crazy," Panosian said.

Two southbound lanes were closed for two and a half hours.

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