Driver Flees Fatal Hollywood Crash; Sunset Blvd. Closes

One person died and three others were injured in a fiery car accident in Hollywood early Monday morning, near the intersection of Sunset Boulevard and Roxbury Road. The solo crash occurred at approximately 2:30 a.m. when a Tesla Model X, traveling westbound on Sunset Boulevard at a high rate of speed, slammed into a utility pole and a palm tree in front of the Pink Taco restaurant. 

Soon after the collision, the Tesla caught fire and was quickly engulfed in flames. Bystanders attempted to rescue all three passengers from the vehicle; however, they were unable to free a female passenger from the front seat, and she died in the fiery wreck.

Two other female passengers were pulled from the back seat of the vehicle and transported to a nearby hospital for treatment. The victims, a 23-year-old woman and a 24-year-old woman, were in critical and serious condition, respectively, according to Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) spokesperson Brian Humphrey.

The Tesla’s driver was believed to have fled the scene of the accident, and was reportedly transported to a local hospital in another vehicle, where he was later identified and in critical condition, according to Los Angeles Police Department investigators.

With debris strewn about the accident scene, Sunset Boulevard was closed in both directions for several hours after the collision as police conducted an investigation. For more information on the accident and the investigation, read the Los Angeles Times article.