Motorist Struck, Killed Leaving His Stalled Car

A 24-year-old man was killed Tuesday night when he got out of his stalled car on the Ventura Freeway in Burbank and was hit by another car.

Mikael Avetisyan of Los Angeles was driving east on the freeway near Forest Lawn Drive at about 11:45 p.m. when his car broke down. The vehicle came to a stop before reaching the shoulder and partially blocked the slow lane, said California Highway Patrol Officer Rich Obregon.

“Basically, he stepped out of the car into the slow lane, possibly even into the No. 3 lane,” Obregon said of Avetisyan. “We don’t know if he was aware of where he was, or whether he just panicked.”

Obregon said Avetisyan died on impact. His body was thrown 100 feet.

The man was hit by a car driven by Makar Jangozian, 21, of Glendale. Jangozian has not been charged in the incident because CHP officials believe Avetisyan’s car “did not have any lights on or anything to forewarn motorists,” Obregon said.

A male passenger in Avetisyan’s car was questioned at the scene by CHP officers. Officials said the passenger, whose name was not released, apparently had consumed alcohol, but it was not known whether the dead man had been drinking.