1 Killed, 1 Hurt as Vehicle Hits Tree
One person died and another was critically injured Thursday when a sport utility vehicle lost control on a quiet residential street and slammed into a tree at about 50 mph, authorities said.
The accident, which may have been triggered when the driver suffered an unknown medical emergency, took place about 2:20 p.m. at Dixie Canyon Avenue and Valley Vista Boulevard, said Los Angeles Police Sgt. Lester Freeman.
Investigators believe the vehicle was traveling 40 mph to 60 mph when the driver lost control, hit a large oak and ricocheted into another tree, Freeman said.
“Something caused the driver’s leg . . . to lock on the accelerator,” Freeman said. “When the first units got there the man’s foot was still in the locked position on the accelerator.”
Both victims were taken to Northridge Hospital Medical Center. Their relationship was not known.
The passenger, a 59-year-old Ventura resident, was pronounced dead at the hospital, a nursing supervisor at said. Her name was withheld pending notification of relatives.
The driver, James Stewart Haldan, 50, of Sherman Oaks was reported in critical condition after surgery.
After the crash, the vehicle’s engine caught fire and neighbors helped put out the blaze before firefighters arrived, Freeman said.
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