Browse
Log in / Register
Share
A devastating head-on collision involving three vehicles on a major Los Angeles freeway sent nine people to the hospital Monday night, among them three young children and two teenagers. Authorities say one man remains in critical condition with serious head trauma.
The crash happened around 11:15 p.m. on the southbound 110 Freeway, just before the exit for Slauson Avenue. According to the California Highway Patrol, a white BYD electric utility vehicle traveling south lost control, crossed the median, and slammed head-on into a Lexus SUV heading north. The impact pushed the Lexus into a Mazda sedan that was traveling behind it, bringing all three cars to a violent stop.
The driver of the Lexus, a man in his early 50s, was trapped inside the crumpled wreckage and had to be extricated by Los Angeles City Fire Department crews. He was transported to Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center with severe head injuries and remains in critical condition as of Tuesday morning, according to CHP spokesperson Officer Elena Vasquez.
The driver of the BYD, a man in his 40s, was treated at the scene for minor injuries and later taken to LAC+USC Medical Center for observation. A child sitting in the back seat of the BYD — an 8-year-old boy — suffered facial lacerations and was taken to Children’s Hospital Los Angeles.
“Two other children from the utility vehicle — ages 6 and 3 — were taken to the same facility after complaining of pain from their seatbelt restraints during the crash,” Officer Vasquez said in a statement. “None of the children’s injuries are believed to be life-threatening.”
The Mazda sedan carried four occupants: a male driver in his late 30s, a woman believed to be his wife, and two teenage girls, ages 15 and 16. All four were evaluated at California Hospital Medical Center as a precaution and later discharged with minor abrasions, according to hospital spokesperson Dr. Linda Tran.
CHP investigators are looking into whether impairment, distraction, or an underlying medical condition caused the southbound driver to lose control and cross the median. No arrests have been made, but charges including reckless driving causing injury could be filed pending toxicology reports and a review of onboard video footage from nearby vehicles.
“We are analyzing every piece of evidence — witness statements, skid marks, potential mechanical failure, and any data from the electric vehicle’s onboard systems,” Officer Vasquez noted. The investigation could take several weeks.
The crash shut down all southbound lanes of the 110 Freeway near Slauson Avenue for nearly four hours, causing major delays and extensive traffic re‑routing through surface streets. Crews used heavy lifting equipment to clear the destroyed vehicles, and the median barrier — which sustained heavy damage — will be repaired later this week.
Local safety advocates have pointed to this section of the 110 as a problem area. According to a 2024 report from the Los Angeles Department of Transportation, the corridor between the 10 interchange and Slauson Avenue recorded 47 injury accidents in the last 12 months, with 12 involving a vehicle crossing the median. “This is exactly the kind of crash that improved median barriers and speed enforcement could prevent,” said Mark Setter, executive director of the Southern California Traffic Safety Coalition.
All families have been notified. The 8-year-old boy’s mother said in a brief interview outside the hospital that the children were coming home from a birthday party and are expected to recover fully. She is grateful to the first responders who “jumped into action immediately.”
Updated patient status will be released as conditions change, CHP confirmed.
