LOS ANGELES, CA – A driver in a gray Audi knocked down a streetlight pole and crashed into the building of the Lee Strasberg Theatre & Film Institute in West Hollywood on Sunday morning before driving away, and deputies from the West Hollywood Sheriff’s Station searched for the driver, according to initial reports.
The crash happened at about 8 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 1, near the intersection of Santa Monica Boulevard and Hayworth Avenue. No injuries were reported.
The Audi hit the light pole with enough force to bring it down, according to initial reports. The driver then accelerated into the theater building.
Audi strikes streetlight pole
The sequence began when the gray Audi struck the streetlight pole beside Santa Monica Boulevard. The pole fell, and the streetlight was destroyed.
The car did not stop after hitting the pole. The driver accelerated and drove into the building that houses the Lee Strasberg Theatre & Film Institute, a private acting school and theater.
The impact left the building with minor structural damage, according to initial reports. The extent of the damage to the pole and to the building has not been detailed in any official statement.
Woman cleaning inside was not hurt
A woman was cleaning inside the building when the car hit it. She was not injured.
No other injuries were reported in connection with the crash, including to the driver or to anyone on the sidewalk. The theater had not issued a public statement about the crash as of Monday.
Driver reverses and flees
After striking the building, the driver reversed away from it and left the scene. The Audi headed east on Santa Monica Boulevard and then turned south on Fairfax Avenue.
The car struck a parked vehicle on Fairfax Avenue as it fled. That vehicle was the third piece of property hit in the sequence, after the streetlight pole and the theater building.
Deputies respond and search
Deputies from the West Hollywood Sheriff’s Station of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department responded to the crash on Santa Monica Boulevard. They searched for the driver of the gray Audi after the car left the area.
The sheriff’s station provides law enforcement services in West Hollywood. The department had not published a news release on the crash as of Monday, Nov. 2.
What California law requires after a property-damage crash
California’s Vehicle Code section 20002 covers crashes that damage only property, including other vehicles. It requires the driver to stop immediately at the nearest location that will not impede traffic.
The driver must also try to locate the owner of the damaged property and give the owner the driver’s name and address and the name and address of the vehicle’s owner. If the owner cannot be found, the driver must leave a written note with that information in a conspicuous place on the property and report the crash.
A person who fails to comply is guilty of a misdemeanor under the statute, punishable by up to six months in county jail, a fine of up to $1,000, or both. The sheriff’s station had not announced whether any charges are being considered in this case.
Traffic enforcement in West Hollywood
The City of West Hollywood’s Public Works Department describes its traffic safety measures on a city page. The page says West Hollywood Sheriff’s traffic officers focus enforcement on specific streets to raise awareness of speeding.
Authorities have not said how fast the Audi was traveling or what caused the driver to lose control.
Anyone with information asked to contact deputies
Anyone with information about the crash, the gray Audi or the driver is asked to contact the West Hollywood Sheriff’s Station or the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. Property owners affected by the crash, including the owner of the parked vehicle on Fairfax Avenue, may also report the damage to the station.
No arrest reported as of Nov. 2
As of Monday, no arrest and no identification of the driver had been reported. The investigation into the Nov. 1 crash remains open, and the Sheriff’s Department had not released further details about the search.
Any arrest or charge would remain an allegation, and an arrest is not a conviction. Any case would proceed through the criminal court process.
