Driver Arrested After Granada Hills Collision Kills 1, Injures 3

A Lancaster man, who police said may have been drinking, was arrested on suspicion of second-degree murder after a collision in Granada Hills on Wednesday that killed a woman and injured three other people.

The woman, a Santa Clarita Valley resident about 35 years old, was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident, which occurred about 1:55 p.m. at the intersection of Balboa Boulevard and Jolette Avenue, Los Angeles Fire Department spokesman Jim Wells said.

He said her name could not be released until relatives had been notified.

A 35-year-old man and his 34-year-old wife, who were in the van, were in fair condition at Northridge Hospital Medical Center in Northridge, hospital spokeswoman Leslie Wither said.

Police arrested Wayne Hardy, 22, who sustained multiple injuries. He was in stable condition at Holy Cross Medical Center in Mission Hills, a hospital spokeswoman said.

Hardy was driving south on Balboa in a small pickup truck when he crossed traffic lanes and hit the van, which was facing north and waiting to make a left turn from Balboa onto Jolette. The van spun and collided with the second pickup, killing the driver, said Los Angeles police Detective Richard Ranck.

Police said Hardy was traveling above the 45-m.p.h. speed limit.

Officers detected alcohol on Hardy’s breath, and a test was taken to determine his blood- alcohol content, Ranck said. The results will not be known for several days, he said.