Man, 71, Killed; 3 Injured in Wrong-way Driver Crash
LOS ANGELES, Calif. (May 26, 2023) – Richard Wold and Francisco Gil were among three people injured in a fatal crash involving a wrong way driver on the Harbor 110 Freeway in downtown Los Angeles.
Taxi driver, Ken Balayev, 71, of Calabasas, died in the head-on crash reported at 2:49 a.m. on May 26th, near Exposition Boulevard, according to the California Highway Patrol.
Additionally, the suspected wrong-way driver, Samantha Molina, 23, of Los Angeles, also suffered major injuries. Police placed her under arrest, but have not yet revealed all the charges she faces.
The two-vehicle crash between a Chevrolet and a taxi happened in the northbound lanes of the Harbor (110) Freeway, according to MyNewsLA.
Molina was driving a black Chevrolet sedan southbound in the northbound lanes of the freeway. She reportedly slammed into the taxi driver’s vehicle. Paramedics responded and rushed him to a hospital where he later died, the Los Angeles County Sheriff Coroner said.
Meanwhile, a passenger in the taxi identified as Richard Wold, 48, of Los Angeles, along with Francisco Gil, 21, of Los Angeles, who was a passenger in the Chevrolet, both suffered minor and major injuries respectfully. They were both taken to a hospital.
Police closed all lanes of the northbound freeway to conduct an investigation into what happened and determine fault.
The freeway reopened by 6 a.m. the same day.
Witnesses are urged to call the CHP Central Los Angeles Area office at 231-744-2337 or 323-259-3200.
Johnson Attorneys Group does not represent any of the parties mentioned above. Furthermore, Johnson Attorneys Group hopes this news information is timely and helpful. Additionally, if you would like to contribute any information, add a GoFundMe page or have legal questions, please contact us as soon as possible. Our law firm is a proud, longtime supporter of Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD).
Source: CHP, MyNewsLA
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