Removing Mercedes from Verdugo Wash won't be easy
Removing a Mercedes-Benz from a concrete water channel below San Fernando Road could pose a headache if officials have to close down roads or train tracks to remove it.
A 53-year-old woman, whose name was not immediately released, apparently mistook the concrete-lined Verdugo Wash for a freeway onramp. She whizzed down the channel for at least a mile, reaching speeds of up to 70 mph. She finally stopped after barreling down several 3-foot-long steps and after being hailed down by maintenance workers.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is evaluating options for removing the sedan, which came to rest below a bridge used by Metrolink commuter trains. The location complicates the possible use of a crane to pull the sedan out., the Glendale News-Press reported.
Crews can't move the car backward because of the set of stairs, or forward because there is an 8-foot drop, Police Sgt. Tom Lorenz said. Engineers are contemplating whether to shut down nearby train tracks and San Fernando Road if they use the crane, he said, although no decision on the method or time of day had been reached.
Residents of surrounding neighborhoods will be notified of any road closures if they're needed, Lorenz said.
The woman, a Glendale resident, was taken to a hospital for evaluation after complaining of back pain. Lorenz said she didn't appear to be under the influence of alcohol.
"Right now, it's unexplainable," he said.
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-- Veronica Rocha, Times Community News
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