Passenger Killed In Burning 101 Wreck As H&R Driver Watches: Cops

HOLLYWOOD, CA — A passenger died in a burning wreck on the Hollywood (101) Freeway as the hit and run driver of the car sat on the roadside and watched Monday morning, according to a witness and the California Highway Patrol.

The car struck concrete barrier on the Hollywood (101) Freeway in East Hollywood and burst into flames moments after it was involved in a hit and run crash, according to police. The fatal crash happened at 2:05 a.m. on the northbound side of the freeway north of Santa Monica Boulevard, and it triggered a SigAlert that lasted until after 5 a.m., said California Highway Patrol Officer Patrick Kimball said.

The alleged victim in the hit and run crash apparently followed the driver and watched the car strike the concrete barrier, Kimball said. According to the witness, the driver escaped the burning vehicle and sat on the dirt on the right shoulder while a person was trapped inside, the CHP said.

The SigAlert was issued at 2:35 a.m. shutting down all lanes of the northbound Hollywood Freeway at the crash scene and taking traffic off at Santa Monica Boulevard. The fast lane was reopened at 2:54 a.m., Kimball said. The number 2 lane was reopened at 5:18 a.m.

City News Service and Patch Staffer Paige Austin contributed to this report. File photo: Patch Archive