Stalled car leads to fatal crash on Glendale (2) Freeway

A 45-year-old San Pedro woman was killed Sunday after the stalled car she was in was rear-ended by another vehicle on the Glendale (2) Freeway, officials said.

The woman, Teresa Rodriguez, was pronounced dead about 1:34 p.m. at the scene of the crash, which was just north of Mountain Street, according to the California Highway Patrol.

“This is a bad area,” said Glendale Fire Battalion Chief Greg Godfrey. “We have multiple [traffic collisions] in this area.”

Rodriguez was a passenger in the 1997 Honda driven by a 71-year-old San Pedro woman when it began to experience engine troubles on the northbound freeway.

The driver activated the Honda’s emergency lights and tried to pull onto the right shoulder, but the car stalled in the No. 4 lane.

The driver of a 2002 Toyota, traveling 65 to 70 mph, tried to brake, but was unable to avoid hitting the back of the Honda, CHP officials said.

The impact of the crash caused fatal injuries to Rodriguez, who was in the left rear passenger seat, CHP officials said.

A 16-year-old passenger in the Honda also sustained major injuries, while the 71-year-old driver suffered only minor injuries. They were transported to Huntington Memorial Hospital in Pasadena.

The driver and passenger in the Toyota were not injured in the crash, CHP officials said.

Drugs or alcohol didn’t appear to be a factor in the crash, according to the CHP.