Girl, 14, In Critical Condition After Driver, 18, Accidentally Reverses Car Into Storm Channel

TUJUNGA (CBS)  — A 14-year-old girl was in critical condition Tuesday evening after the 18-year-old driver she was riding with accidentally reversed their car and plunged backwards 10 feet into a storm channel in Tujunga.

The crash near Oro Vista Avenue and Hillrose Street was reported at 9:14 p.m., David Ortiz of the Los Angeles Fire Department said.

Firefighters said the two young women were parked in a church parking lot when the driver accidentally put the car into reverse, driving into the storm wash, Ortiz said.

Both were able to exit the vehicle before firefighters arrived, Ortiz said. Crews helped put them on back boards to lift them out of the channel safely and take them to a hospital. It was unclear what type of injuries the girl and woman sustained.

(©2011 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Wire services contributed to this report.)