Woman, boy die on 101 Freeway in Hollywood

A woman and a 5-year-old boy died in an early-morning accident today on the 101 Freeway in Hollywood. The unidentified woman was driving on the southbound 101 Freeway south of Sunset Boulevard when her car drifted into another lane, said Officer Francisco Villalobos of the California Highway Patrol.

Her car went out of control when she overcorrected, causing it to strike a guard rail at the Sunset Boulevard on-ramp, Villalobos said. Her Volkswagen Cabriolet flipped in the impact, causing it to roll several times on the on-ramp, according to a CHP collision report.

A 5-year-old boy in the left rear seat was ejected and killed, according to the report. The driver  remained in her seat but died, and an 11-year-old  girl in the front passenger seat received minor injuries, Villalobos said. Investigators are trying to determine what caused the accident.

-- Nathan Olivarez-Giles

Comments

[sabina]

So much for the back seat being safer for kids, at least on the sides next to the windows. Was the girl in front saved by a deployed airbag? Also shows how dangerous smaller, lighter vehicles can be on impact -- a warning to those who were starting to buy the tiny Euro or Asian-style cars when gas prices were so high. Those are meant for local, narrow, old streets, not freeway impacts. This sad story is also why I'm so concerned about driving in the fast lane OR slow lane next to guard rails: sometimes they are so close to the lane there's no room for error. Sad story, sounds like Mom (or nanny?) was taking the kids to school.

[sabina]

So much for the back seat being safer for kids, at least on the sides next to the windows. Was the girl in front saved by a deployed airbag? Also shows how dangerous smaller, lighter vehicles can be on impact -- a warning to those who were starting to buy the tiny Euro or Asian-style cars when gas prices were so high. Those are meant for local, narrow, old streets, not freeway impacts. This sad story is also why I'm so concerned about driving in the fast lane OR slow lane next to guard rails: sometimes they are so close to the lane there's no room for error. Sad story, sounds like Mom (or nanny?) was taking the kids to school.

[GEAH]

"So much for the back seat being safer for kids,"

Reality check time.

The kid was ejected, which means the seat belt wasn't in use. I guarantee you that the survivor was seatbelted.

[Maxi3d]

To live and die in L.A.

[Eliezer]

In most cases where a passenger is ejected from the vehicle, the passenger is not wearing a seatbelt. It is likely the the 5-year-old in the back seat was not wearing a seatbelt, which led to his death... so you can't assume being in the backseat was more dangerous until all the facts have been revealed.

[KMS]

Large SUV's are no safer in accidents such as this. Passengers are just as likely, if not more likely to be ejected AND the roofs on heavier SUV's cave in rather easily. The lesson here is to pull over if you are sleepy.

[sabina]

GEAH's smug "guarantee" remains to be seen, and this comment is ignorant: I've been told by a traffic cop that the back window seat is NOT as safe as people think: you should put kids into the middle rear seat whenever possible, as in this case, when they're riding alone. This is true not just because it's easier to get ejected from the sides, but because the middle is further removed from side impacts and the impact of the forward seats flinging back. Of course when you have several kids in the back, you have to choose who sits in the middle, based on size, etc. -- older kids prefer the sides. This victim may have been strapped in incorrectly or (unlikely) not at all, but that doesn't change the underlying facts.

[m]

Seems like gross negligence bordering on recklessness for a car to be flipped after hitting the rail. How fast was the driver going? I agree with the other poster that believes that a seatbelt was not in use.

[LAFD]

While the formal investigation - which might address survivability factors, is in the hands of the California Highway Patrol - in light of the comments above, we feel it important to mention this incident occurred shortly after 1:00 AM.

Respectfully Yours in Safety and Service,

Brian Humphrey
Firefighter/Specialist
Public Service Officer
Los Angeles Fire Department

[Red, Los Angeles]

Sabina - My best friend's entire family was killed in an accident in a *giant* SUV (Suburban). They were on a local low traffic road in upstate NY in the middle of summer. On the other hand, another close friend in a very small car was hit by a SEMI TRUCK, survived and is in perfect heath (and with no physical scars to show for it). When your time is up, it's up. Don't delude yourself into believing you can guarantee survival by driving an SUV. You may survive a crash, but the air pollution is going to get you.

[JayW]

I appreciate the comment by the LAFD poster. The poorly written story omitted that important fact. Obviously, readers leaped to erroneous conclusions because of the omission.
The LA Times writing standards have clearly been relaxed too much. This isn't the first time lately I've been frustrated by fact omission, buried leads and other examples of bad news writing.

[Diana Dee]

Five year olds under 100 lbs should be strapped into a booster seat. Most seat belts don't lock for younger children. I found this out after my then 9 year old son (under 100 lbs), who was riding in the back seat with a shoulder belt, hit the front seat with his face after getting hit from behind. He was left bruised. I was lucky that he was not ejected and killed. My heart goes out to the family of the dead.

[Shahram Shayesteh]

I am an attorney specializing in automotive defects and regularly deal with these types of accidents.

Rollovers tend to result in the worst injuries because of the dynamic forces at play and the chances of passengers being ejected. When a passenger is ejected (usually through side windows made of tempered glass which shatter very easily), it is usually because the passenger was not wearing a seat belt, but that is not always the case. Sometimes, the seat belt latch fails and the seat belt becomes undone. Sometimes, the buckle is inadvertently unbuckled by the passenger as their arms flail about. Sometimes, the seat belt retractor fails to hold the seat belt in place, allowing the seat belt to spool out and the occupant to become unrestrained. Only a careful inspection of the seat belt assembly can tell you what really happened and I'm sure the investigating officers will perform some analysis in this case.

On a side note, SUVs are no safer in high speed accidents. They have a higher center of gravity (despite recent improvements) than sedans and are much more likely to roll over when drivers lose control. As one other person pointed out, they also have relatively weak roofs that can crush down significantly on passengers due to the overall curb weight of the vehicle. So personally, I will never driver an SUV in LA. Unless you live in a small town where you can't drive more than 35 mph, its just too dangerous.

Hope this helps.

Shahram Shayesteh
Girardi Keese

[John]

Don't assume that the woman was driving a compact import car. The report does not state the specific car type, brand or year. The cause of death here is the driver's inattentiveness. Her lack of driving abilities lead to the deaths. No matter what size or type of vehicle you drive, the one most important variable is the driver. If the driver has sub-par driving abilities along with other factors such as fatigue and poor lighting, even the latest and greatest technologies cannot save her.
Don't assume SUV's are safer. It is a myth so many Americans believe is true, but tragically is so false.

[Stephanie]

Not only should the five year old have been wearing a seatbelt, many experts would argue that he should have been in a five-point harness child safety seat. My five year old is, even though he's at the top of the charts for height. Even booster seats (the kind that just use the car's regular seat belt) have been associated with injuries and deaths among small children.

Regardless, it's a tragic shame.

[Mark]

I don't understand why people continue to believe that smaller cars are just as safe or even safer than larger cars. It's just not true.

I trust the people who crash test cars for a living. The Insurance Institute For Highway Safety says the following:

Larger, heavier vehicles generally afford better protection in crashes than smaller, lighter ones.

"Just because small cars are Top Safety Picks doesn't make them as crashworthy as larger vehicles," Lund says. "Rather, it's all the more important to choose a small car that rates highly for safety because you give up the protection of size and weight."

[Kelly]

I am a nurse in the Pediatric ICU and I can tell you from years of experience that almost every child admitted to the PICU with trauma from a car accident was either not wearing a seat belt, or was belted incorrectly (usually child on adult's lap and seat belt on both). Very rarely do we admit car accident victims who were properly restrained.

[G. Lopez]

How sad is this, my thoughts and prayers go out to the familys that have to endure such pain and hardache! They are in better place now, let them rest.

[Ben]

Reading comprehension;
The car was a Volkswagon Cabriolet - it says so in the blog entry. Boosters are required by law for anyone under 6 years of age or under 60#. There is no mention of a car seat or boster FWIW. Seat belts should fully extended and allowed to retract when a child is fastened in the seat. This "locks" the belt and keeps it from loosening during an accident.

[stephanie]

The sad thing about this is this is a loss to me. The mom was my cousin. I just saw them the day before at our grandmas funeral. They die in threes and one is born.

[Her Neighbor]

She was my neighbor. She loved her children. May they rest in peace.

[The Innkeeper]

WHY DID YOU HAVE TO LEAVE US?
A tremendous loss in my life. She was my great, wonderful, and lovely friend. Just a few days prior we were chatting on my front porch. I miss her, and will forever, it seems.
Doll, you and I were there for each other for all these many years. You always looked out for me. And you know how things are going for me so, please... watch over me from up there.
Yours,
Gravy

[Missy]

We were coming home form a concert in Hollywood last night around 1am, when we were driving eastbound on the 101, We noticed several officers swerving across lanes to slow traffic, telling people to basically get out the the way and when we got closer , we saw firetrucks arriving and people being exited off the freeway,. It was a terrible sight .. My thoughts & Prayers go out to the family & friends who have lost there loved ones.