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Rain Causes Surge In Traffic Collisions, River Rescues, And There's More Coming
While it's a good thing that we finally got that rain we were promised last night, it also (predictably) wreaked havoc in the southland, where driving in the rain can prove to be particularly hazardous. According to KTLA, traffic collisions spiked due to stormy weather conditions: California Highway Patrol reported 150 collisions in L.A. County from 10 p.m. Saturday to 4 a.m. Sunday—85 more than occurred in the same period last weekend.
The brand-spankin' new Gold Line extension, which opened yesterday to much fanfare, was shut down after a big rig crashed into the tracks and burst into flames on the 210 freeway.
The L.A. Times reports two of the traffic accidents were fatal: one person died after a car crashed on Highway 134 at the Pacific ramp in Glendale, and one pedestrian was hit by a pickup truck Saturday in the Lake Los Angeles area of Lancaster.
The swift-moving L.A. River was also a source of danger. This morning, firefighters rescued a total of seven people, and a dog, from the river.
Storm soaked us overnight. Check this out: the LA river is ripping along! Another storm on the way. @NBCLA #LArain pic.twitter.com/a5Mq5xiXh2
— Adrian Arambulo (@AdrianNBCLA) March 6, 2016
According to City News Service, there's another storm coming in, set to hit L.A. around 7 a.m. Monday, so brace yourselves for that morning commute, Angelenos.
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You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
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