One Killed, Another Critical After Collision

A North Hollywood man died in a two-car collision Tuesday morning, moments after completing what police called his weekday ritual: picking up a friend on the 6400 block of North Tujunga Avenue. The friend suffered critical injuries.

Harold Thompson, 70, was killed instantly. The passenger in Thompson’s 1981 Datsun, described by authorities as a man in his 60s, was taken to Providence Holy Cross Medical Center with two collapsed lungs. Authorities declined to identify him.

Hospital officials said he remained in critical condition Tuesday.

Two men riding in the other car were hospitalized with minor injuries, police said.

“The driver made a U-turn from the curb,” said Officer John McNeil, who arrived at the accident scene just after 7 a.m. “One of the witnesses said the man does that every day when he picks up his friend. Today, he just wasn’t looking.”