Sponsored message
Logged in as
Audience-funded nonprofit news
radio tower icon laist logo
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
Subscribe
  • Listen Now Playing Listen
  • Listen Now Playing Listen

This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.

This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.

News

3 Killed After BMW Slams Into Studio City Pizzeria, Bursts Into Flames [UPDATED]

Photo by Shawn Kaye via LAFD on Flickr

This story is free to read because readers choose to support LAist. If you find value in independent local reporting, make a donation to power our newsroom today.

Two men and a woman celebrating their friend's 21st birthday were killed almost instantly this morning after the car they were in crashed into a Studio City pizzeria and burst into flames.

The BMW flew off Ventura Boulevard and Tujunga Avenue, hit trees and sheared a natural gas line that incinerated the car, according to City News Service. The crash happened around 3:35 am, and it took 52 firefighters 23 minutes to put out the fire.

Friends told KTLA that everyone in the car had been celebrating a friend's 21st birthday and they were headed to an after-party at the driver's house. The woman in the car had reportedly flown in from New York. The names of the victims haven't been released, but all of them were in their 20s.

One friend said that he was hesitant to take his keys away from his friend although he knew he had been drinking—something he now regrets. "Something inside of me said he's an adult, he'll get there, but the result is very unfortunate that he didn't," Alexander Polansky told KTLA.

UPDATE 9/10/12: More Details About Victims of 'very violent, very volatile' Deadly Crash Into Studio City Pizzeria

You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our connected community. We are free to tell the full truth, to hold power to account without fear or favor, and to follow facts wherever they lead. Our only loyalty is to our audiences and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen our community.

Right now, LAist has lost $1.7M in annual funding due to Congress clawing back money already approved. The support we receive from readers like you will determine how fully our newsroom can continue informing, serving, and strengthening Southern California.

If this story helped you today, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.

Your tax-deductible donation keeps LAist independent and accessible to everyone.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief

Make your tax-deductible donation today