Food Truck Driver Tried to Slow Before Crash that Injured 3

The driver of a catering truck that slammed into a tree and a pole in the Hollywood Hills -- critically injuring three women and disturbing a hive of bees -- had tried to rub the vehicle’s wheels against a curb to slow the truck’s downhill speed, authorities said today.

The vehicle jumped the curb and crashed about 12:50 p.m. yesterday at 1120 N. Doheny Drive, just north of the Sunset Strip, police and fire officials said.

Three women aboard the truck suffered traumatic injuries and were taken to hospitals after being freed from the wreckage, Margaret Stewart of the Los Angeles Fire Department said.

A sheriff’s deputy was stung once and experienced slight swelling, Sgt. Kevin Rasmussen of the sheriff’s West Hollywood Station said.

The deputy declined ambulance transport to a hospital, Stewart said.

But Rasmussen said the deputy did go to a hospital and was treated though not admitted before being released, Rasmussen said.

It’s unclear how they deputy got to the hospital.

Sgt. C. Barlow of the Los Angeles Police Department’s West Traffic Division said the catering truck’s driver was unable to slow the vehicle as it descended the steep road and tried rubbing its wheels against a curb to check its speed, but it went off the street and hit a tree and a power pole or light standard.

The driver was not arrested or cited, Barlow said.

City News Service