Authorities Friday identified a young woman killed on a San Diego (405) Freeway offramp in Culver City in a fiery two-vehicle crash that left a motorist in custody.
The crash occurred about 12:50 a.m. Thursday on the Venice Boulevard offramp from the northbound freeway, the California Highway Patrol reported.
Samantha Gomez, 19, died at the scene, the coroner’s office reported.
Luis Andrade, 26, of Hawthorne, was arrested and hospitalized for treatment of major injuries he suffered in the crash, said CHP Officer Vance Perreira. It was unclear what charges he would face.
“Alcohol or drugs is suspected to be a factor in this collision,” Perreira said.
The 2016 Honda Odyssey van that Andrade was driving had been reported stolen, Perreira said.
According to Perreira, Andrade had been driving the Honda north on the 405 Freeway “at a high rate of speed” in the No. 6 lane, north of Washington Boulevard.
At the same time, a 2010 Mazda 3 was heading north on the freeway at about 25-30 mph, also north of Washington Boulevard, Perreira said.
“Due to the unsafe speed for changing traffic conditions, the driver of the Honda was not able to negotiate the right turn of the Venice Boulevard offramp, causing the Honda to cross over the median and collide into the concrete barrier wall and fully engulf in flames,” Perreira said.
The Mazda then hit the rear of the Honda, Perreira said.
“As a result of the initial collision into the concrete barrier wall, a passenger of the Honda sustained fatal injuries, (and) the driver, (a) male passenger, and (a) female passenger in the Honda were transported with varying degrees of injuries,” Perreira said. No one was hurt in the Mazda.
Culver City police officers reportedly had pulled over the Honda in the area a short time before the crash, but it sped off, Perreira said. The Culver City officers lost sight of the Honda, and then came upon the fiery crash scene, Perreira said.
The case remains under investigation, and possible witnesses were urged to call the CHP’s West Los Angeles Area office at (310) 642-3939.