1 Killed, 3 Others Injured When Car Crashes Into Homeless Encampment

VAN NUYS (CBSLA.com) — One person was killed and three others were injured Tuesday after a car that had been traveling along the southbound 405 freeway in Van Nuys left the roadway and crashed into a homeless encampment, authorities said.

Fire crews respondiing about 6:15 p.m. to an accident just off the freeway near Sherman Way found one person trapped beneath a blue Honda Accord and several others injured, the Los Angeles Fire Department said.

The injured, including the driver, were taken to hospitals in conditions ranging from fair to critical, the Fire Department said. The person who died suffered massive crush injuries from the weight and impact of the car, authorities said.

One man said he knows two of the victims, and that they're a couple. Police have not confirmed their identities. Another witness said he watched as authorities worked furiously searching for victims amd ;ater used a crane to remove the car from the crash site.

The CHP isn't sure what led to the driver, reported to be a 66-year-old man, careening down the embankment. He was the only person in the car. It's likely freeway speeds were normal at the time, so it's possible the driver was going fairly quickly.

CHP says homeless encampments are a constant issue in the area.

"For the San Fernando Valley, I can tell you, you know, this couple-mile stretch of freeway right here is well-known for being occupied by many homeless people," CHP officer David Galbraith said.

Haskell Avenue south of Strathern Street was closed for the duration of the rescue operation and investigation.