LOS ANGELES, CA – Five people were hospitalized Saturday evening after a multi-vehicle rollover crash on the southbound 405 Freeway in Van Nuys left victims trapped and sent vehicles off the roadway, authorities said.
The crash was reported shortly after 7 p.m. on Aug. 15 near the Victory Boulevard exit.
The Los Angeles Fire Department said first-arriving crews encountered a multi-vehicle collision involving a rollover and entrapment, with five people requiring medical attention.
Firefighters and paramedics worked to reach the victims and free those who were trapped inside the damaged vehicles.
All five patients were ultimately transported to local hospitals, according to LAFD. Their conditions were not immediately released.
Images from the aftermath showed damaged vehicles resting on a dirt area below the freeway, with at least two people visible outside one of the vehicles.
Authorities have not publicly detailed how many vehicles went off the roadway or whether all five injured people were occupying the same vehicle.
The fire department classified the incident as a multi-vehicle collision and confirmed that the crash involved both a rollover and people trapped inside vehicles.
The rescue operation prompted a sizable emergency response and slowed traffic on the heavily traveled freeway.
LAFD warned motorists at the time to expect significant slowdowns and possible diversions on the southbound 405 approaching Victory Boulevard while emergency crews worked at the scene.
Traffic was also reported moving slowly in the opposite direction as drivers passed the emergency response.
Information reviewed by Street People indicates the exact circumstances that caused the crash remain unclear.
Authorities have not said whether excessive speed, impairment, distraction, a lane change or another factor contributed to the collision.
Officials also have not released information about the ages or identities of the injured occupants.
No fatalities were reported in the information released by the fire department.
The California Highway Patrol is responsible for traffic enforcement and collision investigations on California freeways, including Interstate 405. LAFD identified the incident under CHP incident number 1359 and said the cause remained undetermined at the time of the emergency response.
The 405 Freeway is one of the busiest transportation corridors in the Los Angeles region, and crashes requiring lane closures or lengthy rescue operations can quickly create substantial congestion through the San Fernando Valley.
Saturday evening’s incident required more than a routine medical response because several occupants were reportedly trapped following the crash.
Extrication operations typically involve firefighters stabilizing damaged vehicles and creating safe access to occupants before paramedics can remove and treat them.
LAFD did not release additional details about the specific rescue techniques required in this case or how long it took crews to free all of the trapped victims.
The department’s initial alert confirmed only that all five people requiring medical assistance were transported to hospitals.
Authorities likewise have not said whether seat belts or other safety equipment played a role in the occupants’ injuries.
It also remains unclear whether another vehicle may have left the scene before emergency responders arrived.
No arrests or citations were immediately announced.
The official fire department account lists the cause of the crash as undetermined, leaving the collision reconstruction and investigation to authorities.
Investigators may examine roadway evidence, vehicle damage, witness statements and any available dashcam or surveillance footage as they attempt to establish how the collision unfolded.
For now, the confirmed sequence is limited: multiple vehicles collided on the southbound 405 near Victory Boulevard, at least one vehicle rolled over, several people became trapped, and five patients were taken to hospitals.
Their medical conditions have not been publicly disclosed.
The investigation remains ongoing.
