At least six people, including a pregnant woman and a baby, were killed in a horrific crash at a Los Angeles intersection on Thursday when a speeding driver plowed through a red light and smashed into oncoming traffic before erupting into a fireball. Surveillance footage captures the horrific moment a Mercedes-Benz speeding through the red light with no signs of stopping.
The Mercedes-Benz sedan can be seen in the video clip speeding through a steady red light at the intersection of La Brea and Slauson Avenues before it slams into through traffic at around 1:40 p.m. The video was captured from a gas station in the Windsor Hills neighborhood overlooking the intersection of South La Brea Avenue and Slauson Avenue.
Spine-Chilling Moment
The video captures the spine-chilling moment the speeding Mercedes-Benz sedan comes speeding through a red light without any attempt to brake as the lines of cars gets nearer. Within a fraction of a second, the black car rams into other vehicles on the congested highway before bursting into flames.
The impact of the collision shot car parts into the air and immediately set some of the six cars involved on fire. The cars then collide into the gas station, an architectural icon, on the opposite side of the street.
After the collision, three of the cars caught fire. Four people, one of whom was pregnant, were victims. Additionally, a baby died.
Eight of the nine injured were sent to area hospitals and six of the nine are children and teens.
The Los Angeles County Fire Department units were called to the intersection of South La Brea Avenue and Slauson Avenue, close to Ladera Park, around 1:40 pm. Officers were initially told that there was a fire in the area.
However, when they arrived, they found that at least six vehicles had collided there after a Mercedes-Benz was seen speeding southbound on South La Brea Avenue, causing the fire.
Playing With Others' Lives
According to a California Highway Patrol representative, the Mercedes driver was traveling at a "high rate of speed" when the crash occurred. According to California Highway Patrol, the driver of the Mercedes is likely among those sent to the hospital with serious injuries.
Police also noted that the scene "almost looks like a war zone," with burned-out and smashed cars and car pieces all over the street.
Videos and photos posted on social media show the cars engulfed in flames, with at least two of them completely charred. The burnt-out hulls of the were visible in photos. Two of the destroyed vehicles came to a stop in front of a gas station sign.
Another of the cars looked to have rolled onto its roof near the service station's door. "Those two right there exploded, just fire everywhere," a witness told NBC 4.
Harper Washington, another witness, told ABC 7: "It appeared as though the intersection was on fire from corner to corner."
"A lot of sparks and electricity. I was under the impression that, really at first I thought they dropped a bomb on us. I thought another world war had started. Then I realized it was a car into the sign."
Police have launched an investigation. However, they are yet to disclose the identity of the victims, including the driver who smashed his car.
