Never get out of a broken-down car on a freeway — you very well may be killed.
And that’s exactly what happened to a 31-year-old woman on the Glen Anderson (105) Freeway in South Los Angeles who failed to obey that age-old warning from law enforcement.
The woman was driving a Mazda on the eastbound freeway west of Central Avenue when she became involved in a solo-vehicle traffic collision, possibly striking the center divider, according to the California Highway Patrol.
The driver’s damaged car stopped and was blocking the carpool and far-right lanes of the freeway, according to the CHP. She got out of the car at that point in the early morning darkness Sunday.
A Honda traveling on the eastbound freeway collided with the side of the victim’s Mazda. Her own car then struck the woman, sending her into the carpool lane, according to the CHP.
An oncoming Kia then struck the woman, according to the CHP.
The woman, identified as Los Angeles resident Maria Avila, was pronounced dead at the scene, according to the coroner’s office.
All lanes of the eastbound freeway were shut down for hours.
Authorities usually urge motorists in disabled vehicles on a freeway to make every effort to drive to the shoulder away from traffic or take the nearest off-ramp, even if that means some increased damage to the car.
But if the vehicle won’t move, they urge drivers and passengers to remain inside with seat belts fastened and phone for help. Even if you don’t have a phone, wait for help to arrive without getting out of the vehicle. It’s far better to be in a crash surrounded and protected by the steel of your car than to be hit as a defenseless pedestrian on the roadway.
–Staff and wire reports