Valley Teen Critically Injured When Freeway Debris Crashes through Windshield

LOS ANGELES, CA -- A 17-year-old woman was critically injured Friday when the car she was driving hit metal debris on the Golden State Freeway in Mission Hills, sending it through the windshield and hitting her, causing her to lose control of the car and strike three other vehicles, authorities said.

The crash happened about 8:45 a.m. on the northbound 5 Freeway, just south of San Fernando Mission Boulevard, the California Highway Patrol said.

The 2008 Honda Accord driven by the 17-year-old contained two other teenage females, one 17 and the other 16.

All three teens were from Burbank, according to CHP spokesman Officer Josh Greenberg.

One of the passengers tried to grab the wheel after the metal debris came through the windshield and slammed into the driver. While that teen was trying to gain control of the car, the Honda swerved across the freeway and hit two trucks pulling car trailers, Greenberg said. One of the trucks was parked on the right side of the freeway.

The Honda Driver was taken to Holy Cross Hospital in critical condition for treatment of life-threatening injuries by a private ambulance service that beat the L.A. City Fire Department's ambulance to the scene, said fire department spokeswoman Margaret Stewart. The other two young women suffered minor injuries and were not transported. The current condition of the badly injured teen was unknown.

The crash shut down the number 2, 3 and 4 lanes of the northbound 5 Freeway, Greenberg continued. A SigAlert was then issued by the CHP at 9:45 a.m. The CHP eventually opened up the number 2 lane shortly after the SigAlert was declared.

The clean-up of the metal debris and removal of the vehicles kept the other two lanes closed until 1 p.m. when the SigAlert was cancelled and the freeway cleared, Greenberg said.

City News Service