Local News in Brief : Passenger Killed in Crash; Friend Booked

A Canoga Park man who was riding as a passenger in his won car because he was believed too drunk to drive was killed early Saturday in a traffic accident in which the driver is suspected of being drunk, Los Angeles police said.

Fabian Gutierrez, 27, was pronounced dead at the scene of the 2:40 a.m. accident at Farralone Avenue and Philiprimm Street in Woodland Hills, Sgt. J. Grubbs said.

The driver, Glenn R. Moss, 34, of Reseda, is suspected of being drunk at the time of the accident and was arrested on suspicion of vehicular manslaughter, Grubbs said.

Moss and Gutierrez had spent much of the evening at a Woodland Hills bar, Sgt. Jay Taylor said.

At the time of the accident, Moss was driving Gutierrez’s car toward the Woodland Hills home of another friend, Alan Kaye, 34, Grubbs said.

Kaye told police that Gutierrez was not driving because he was thought to be intoxicated, Grubbs said.

Moss had turned west onto Philiprimm Street from Farralone Avenue when the Bronco overturned. Gutierrez was thrown through the side window, Taylor said.

Moss was given a breath-alcohol test at the police station, Grubbs said, but the results were not disclosed. He was released on bail from Van Nuys Jail, police said.