El Cajon man dead after single-vehicle collision in Burbank
A 20-year-old El Cajon man died on Wednesday after being involved in a single-vehicle traffic collision in Burbank.
Personnel from the city’s police and fire departments responded to a report about a serious traffic collision at the intersection of Olive Avenue and Sunset Canyon Drive at about 12:30 p.m.
When first responders arrived at the scene, they discovered a white Mercedes-Benz had collided head-on with a pillar at a corner of the intersection.
According to Burbank Sgt. Derek Green, the vehicle was severely damaged, with its front-end completely smashed in.
Green said emergency personnel extracted the driver from the vehicle and attempted to render aid, but he was pronounced dead at the scene. No one else was in the vehicle.
The Los Angeles County medical-examiner’s office identified the man as Lasdilav Hudek and ruled his death as a result of multiple traumatic injuries.
Witnesses told authorities they saw the vehicle speeding through the area and driving erratically prior to the collision. Green said police were also provided with video of the car traveling up and down the hillside at high speeds.
The posted speed limit in the area is 35 mph, and it’s believed the car was traveling at speeds of around 65 mph.
It’s unknown if drugs or alcohol played a part in the fatal collision, but Green said speed was likely a contributing factor. He added that Hudek was not wearing a seat belt at the time of the collision.
A relative of Hudek’s in the San Diego area reported the vehicle stolen earlier that morning and it’s unknown why the 20-year-old was driving around in the Burbank area.
Anyone with information about the collision is asked to call the Burbank Police Department’s traffic bureau at (818) 238-3100.
