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405 Freeway Crash Leaves One Dead, Three Injured
Photo by Peggy Archer via LAist Featured Photos pool on Flickr
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A 28-year-old man was killed early Saturday morning after he lost control of his vehicle on the 405 and was ejected from the car after crashing in a dirt embankment.City News Service reports the driver has been identified as Eric Reyes. Reyes was driving a 2001 Lexus southbound on the 405, and was accompanied by three passengers: a 26-year-old woman, a 25-year-old woman and a 25-year-old man. All three were transported to Ronald Reagan Medical Center at UCLA and were treated for minor injuries, where they are in fair condition.
According to KTLA, the Lexus was "heavily swerving" before it clipped a white Mazda that was also driving in the fast lane. Both cars spun on the freeway, before Reyes careened into the embankment, and was ejected from his vehicle at around 2:10 a.m.
California Highway Patrol Officer Patrick Stafford said it appeared that Reyes was not wearing a seat belt, but that it remains under investigation. "Most of the time when people are ejected, it’s because they didn’t have their seat belt on," Stafford told KTLA.
Reyes was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver of the Mazda and a passenger were reportedly uninjured, according to the CHP.
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While it has not be determined whether alcohol or drugs were a factor in the crash, the CHP is considering speed a potential cause, reports the L.A. Times.
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