Man Dies in Freak Auto Accident
A Thousand Oaks man was killed in a freak traffic accident Monday when a tire from a vehicle traveling in the opposite direction on the Golden State Freeway came off and slammed into the victim’s windshield, authorities said.
The accident occurred about 5:18 p.m. on the northbound side of the freeway near the Burbank Boulevard exit, said CHP Officer Shirley Gaines.
The southbound car lost its left rear tire, which bounced over the center divider and struck the unidentified victim’s car, crashing through the windshield and causing massive head injuries, said CHP Sgt. Ralph Elvira. The victim lost control of his car and slammed into two other cars before crashing into the center divider, Elvira said.
The 48-year-old victim, whose name was withheld pending notification of next of kin, was taken to Thompson Memorial Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead on arrival, said Elvira.
The driver of the vehicle that lost the tire was not injured in the crash, Elvira said.
“That person didn’t know what happened until the officers arrived,” he said.
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