2 Killed In Northridge Crash Identified

NORTHRIDGE, CA — The coroner's office Monday identified the driver and passenger killed in a tragic crash in Northridge that also injured four over the weekend.

Sixty-one-year-old Stephen Hook, who lived in the Sherwood Forest neighborhood of Northridge, was the driver of the a sports coupe involved in the crash Saturday afternoon coroner's Lt. Larry Dietz said. His passenger, Meredith Smith, 62, of Lancaster, died at the scene. The occupants of the other car were briefly trapped before rescuers could free them and rush them to the hospital.

The driver was pronounced dead at a hospital shortly after the crash.

The crash was reported at 2:08 p.m. Saturday in the 17500 block of Parthenia Street, Los Angeles Fire Department spokesman Brian Humphrey said.

All of the victims were adults, Humphrey said. The sports coupe passenger was pronounced dead at the scene, he said.

The driver and front passenger of a sedan were briefly trapped and taken to a hospital in critical condition, while two rear passengers were hospitalized in serious condition, Humphrey said.

City News Service and Patch Staffer Paige Austin contributed to this report. Photo: Shutterstock

Correction: Due to an editor, an earlier version of this story misidentified the name of the person pronounced dead at the hospital.