Suspected drunk driver runs red light, triggers Van Nuys crash, police say

A 19-year-old suspected drunk driver ran a red light in Van Nuys early Tuesday and crashed into an SUV, which flipped onto its roof and landed on top of a minivan, police said.

The crash occurred after midnight at Van Nuys and Victory boulevards, where the man, driving a Volkswagen Passat and traveling with a teenage passenger, allegedly sped through the intersection against the traffic signal, LAPD Det. Bill Bustos told reporters at the scene.

The Passat slammed into the driver’s side door of a Chevrolet TrailBlazer and flipped the SUV, which then landed on top of a white minivan, Bustos said.

The driver of the SUV, described as a woman in her 20s, was listed in critical condition. “We’re really concerned about her,” Bustos said.

In all, five people were injured in the incident, police said. Besides the SUV driver, two were listed in serious condition. The condition of the other two was not immediately known.

Firefighters had to use heavy equipment to remove passengers from the van, NBC4 reported.

Police said the crash happened in an area with a 35-mph speed limit and that the Passat was traveling at “freeway speeds.”

The driver has yet to be identified and is being treated at a local hospital, police said. Authorities will determine if and when to arrest him, police said.

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