Crash Ejects Body onto Freeway Overhead Sign

A 20-year-old man died today in a high-speed rollover crash on the southbound Golden State (5) Freeway that propelled him onto a 20-foot-tall freeway sign, authorities said.

The crash that killed Burbank resident Richard Pananian happened about 7 a.m. near Colorado Boulevard and the Ventura (134) Freeway interchange.

Pananian, who was not wearing a seatbelt, was ejected when his Ford compact collided with another vehicle and rolled over several times, according to the California Highway Patrol.

The momentum flung him 20 to 30 feet in the air onto the walkway of the Colorado Boulevard freeway sign.

Authorities covered his body, which remained there for about three hours. About 10 a.m., the CHP closed the freeway for around 20 minutes in both directions while firefighters removed the body.

“Driving at a high rate of speed, not wearing (a) seatbelt, and rolling over ... people get ejected out of cars like that,” CHP Officer Edgar Figueroa said.

“The dynamics of a vehicle collision, especially at high speeds -- and including not wearing a seatbelt -- anything like that can happen,” CHP Officer Edgar Figueroa said.

The CHP has just reopened all lanes of the northbound Golden State (5) Freeway and two southbound lanes at the Ventura (134) Freeway, near Griffith Park where a man died when he was ejected onto and overhead freeway sign during an accident.

All lanes of the 5 Freeway had been closed in both directions briefly while the body was removed from.

City News Service