- đź“Ś A wrong-way driver traveling southbound in the northbound lanes of the 405 Freeway caused a multi-vehicle crash early Tuesday.
- đź“Ś One person died at the scene; at least one other was hospitalized with unknown injuries.
- đź“Ś The crash forced a full closure of northbound lanes from around 1 a.m. to 5:12 a.m.
- đź“Ś The California Highway Patrol is investigating, but the cause (alcohol, drugs, or medical emergency) remains unknown.
A deadly wrong-way collision on the 405 Freeway in Hawthorne early Tuesday morning left one person dead and shut down all northbound lanes for hours. The crash occurred just before 1 a.m. near Rosecrans Avenue, according to the California Highway Patrol.
What Happened
CHP received reports of a black sedan driving southbound in the northbound lanes at 80 mph near Imperial Highway at 12:49 a.m. Within a minute, a collision was confirmed south of Rosecrans Avenue. 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 extensive wreckage and emergency response. At least three vehicles suffered damage, and at least five vehicles were reportedly blocking traffic lanes, according to CHP incident logs. However, initial reports of five vehicles were later revised to three.
Authorities confirmed one person died at the scene. The victim was later identified by the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner as Myeisha Pierson, a 38-year-old woman. At least one other person was taken to a hospital, but their condition is unknown. A good samaritan named Jose told Fox 11 that there were two passengers in the wrecked vehicle: a female and a male. He said the female died on impact, but the male was hospitalized. “I pulled over, I seen the car on fire and I put it out. Then I seen a person in there, we checked their pulse, and dead on impact,” he said. “Then we seen another guy in there, which is I believe her brother, and he got out.”
Investigation and Unknowns
Officials have not released the identities of the victim or the wrong-way driver. It is unclear which vehicle the victim was in or whether anyone else was injured. Investigators have not determined if alcohol, drugs, or a medical emergency caused the wrong-way driving. Caltrans and the Los Angeles Police Department were also called to the incident by CHP for assistance.
A SigAlert around 1:03 a.m. shut down the freeway and diverted traffic onto Inglewood Avenue. It wasn’t called off until 5:12 a.m. Firefighters were seen sifting through the wrecked vehicle, and a coroner was on scene to assess the fatality.
Local California Context
Hawthorne is a city in Los Angeles County, and the 405 Freeway is one of the busiest in Southern California, frequently used by commuters traveling through the South Bay region. Wrong-way crashes, though rare, often result in severe injuries or fatalities due to high speeds.
Background
Wrong-way collisions on California freeways have been a persistent safety concern. In recent years, Caltrans and CHP have deployed wrong-way detection systems and signs on some off-ramps, but such incidents continue to occur, particularly during late-night hours.
Conclusion
The crash remains under investigation. Commuters should expect residual delays during the morning hours. However, reports indicated that the crash appeared to minimally impact commuters’ morning drive. Authorities urge anyone with information to contact the CHP.