North Hollywood Crash Victim was LA Times Staffer

A motorcyclist killed on the southbound Hollywood (170) Freeway in North Hollywood in a crash involving five other vehicles and four other people injured was a Los Angeles Times employee, the newspaper reported today.

Coroner’s Lt. Dave Smith said he was Luis Diaz, 33. Diaz was identified today by the Times as an edition planner and paginator who helped with the layout of the newspaper and other publications.

The California Highway Patrol reported Diaz, who died at the scene, was a resident of Van Nuys.

The crash was reported about 10:15 a.m. Friday, Feb. 12, on the southbound freeway, north of Riverside Drive, according to the CHP.

A 62-year-old Los Angeles man driving a 2006 Chrysler 300 swerved into an adjoining lane and struck the rear of a two-axle Chevrolet Express truck being driven by a 35-year-old Bell Gardens man, according to the CHP.

The truck was then pushed into the right side of a 2001 Mercedes-Benz ML320 driven by an 81-year-old Montrose woman, which was stopped in the far left lane. That sent the Mercedes into the HOV lane, directly into the path of the victim’s 2014 Yamaha Bolt, which struck the rear of the Mercedes, the CHP reported.

The motorcycle “bounced off the Mercedes” and struck a 2013 Nissan Versa, driven by a 37-year-old North Hollywood man, that was stopped in the left main lane, according to the CHP.

The Nissan was pushed into a 2015 Honda Accord, driven by a 19-year-old Panorama City woman, that was stopped directly ahead, according to the CHP.

The injured drivers were all treated at the scene and released.

City News Service