2 Freeway at Corralitas Drive: Luckily, Car Crash Did Not Ignite A Fire

Photo: Corralitas Neighbor, May 15, 2020, 1:34 AM.  "Must you crash outside my bedroom window? Must you and the police and tow guy yell to each other? Must you?"

Neighbors of the 2 Freeway between the 5 Freeway and the 2 Freeway Terminus at Glendale Blvd have heard many high speed crashes and seen the aftermath. Fortunately, this crash did not ignite the dry brush on the southbound 2 Freeway  adjacent to Corralitas Drive.

Request brush clearance or other maintenance issues on CalTrans property (on the freeway side of the fence) on the State's website: https://csr.dot.ca.gov/

2 Freeway: Car Crashes Onto Red Car Property From The 2 Freeway

All photos: Red Car Property neighbors, April 27, 2019.

Around 2:30 AM, Red Car Property neighbors were awakened by a horrible sounding crash on the 2 Freeway. A very expensive sports car crashed through the chain link fence and came to a stop at the base of a steep slope on the Red Car Property.  At least one neighbor called police when it appeared people took off after the neighbor shined a bright flashlight on them.

One Silver Ridge neighbor described the sound of the crash: a car's screeching tires on the southbound 2 Freeway, then a large crash followed by more squealing tires and an even larger traveling crash.  A Corralitas neighbor's doorbell camera recorded the same sequence of sound at 2:31 AM.

The photo above is a lighter version of the previous photo, shot around 3 AM. 

With no large trees that used to prevent drivers from crashing onto Corralitas and the Red Car Property, the driver crashed through the brush on the side of the 2 Freeway, down the slope, through the chain link fence, across the public sidewalk (Corralitas Walk) and onto the Red Car Property, stopping at the base of the steep slope at the south end of the Red Car Property.  

Neighbors were on alert for fire since brush clearance had not been done.  This is the same part of the property that burned in the 2016 Silver Lake Fire.

When the sun came up, the path of the crash was more clear.  The orange cones mark the section of chain link fence taken out by the car crashing through and across Corralitas Walk.  It stopped at the far right of the frame.  The tire tracks completing the circle to the left, show the path the tow truck took to reach the car.

The large gap in the trees along the southbound 2, just past the orange cones, is where CalTrans cut down all the trees, including a number of enormous Eucalyptus trees that previously kept cars from flying onto Corralitas Drive and the Red Car Property.  

CalTrans cut down all the trees, including recovering trees that were not dead, after the 2016 Silver Lake Fire.  As soon as CalTrans cut the trees down, neighbors began asking CalTrans for trees, a sound wall or even concrete K-rails because they were suddenly feeling exposed.  A few months after the trees were removed a car flew off the freeway and crashed horribly onto Corralitas Drive.  It was fortunate no pedestrians were injured in either crash.

By 4 AM the tow truck was loading the car now in the Corralitas cul-de-sac, adjacent to the Red Car Property.  A neighbor confirmed the crashed car was a brand new Lamborghini.  It still had dealer paper plates.  From the photos, it appears CHP was present.

After last week's crash, we asked CD13 to prioritize brush clearance on the Red Car Property and request CalTrans do their brush clearance too. A fire could have sparked with the hot engine resting on the dry grass. 

Related: 
Car flies off 2 Freeway onto Corralitas Drive, 2016

All our car crash posts

Several neighbors from Silver Ridge Ave (directly above the Red Car Property) and Corralitas Drive contributed photos, video/audio recording, in addition to what they saw and heard to help create this post. 

This post was published May 7, 2019 and postdated to the incident date for reference.

2 Freeway & Corralitas Drive: Nov. 30 Tragic Car Crash, No Surprise. Shocking No One On Corralitas Was Struck By Car Flying Off 2 Frwy.

Photo: Red Car Property Neighbor, November 30, 2016.  Yesterday's evidence of a car crashing off the southbound 2 Freeway onto Corralitas Drive became tragic once neighbors started sharing photos.  (Click on photos to enlarge.)

The neighbor who first reported the incident to me, was relieved that no one on Corralitas Drive was struck by the flying car or debris.  Photos at street level were shot around 9 AM.   Corralitas Walk is the public sidewalk heading up the hill adjacent to the southbound 2 Freeway in the background of the above photo. 

Photo: Red Car Property Neighbor, November 30, 2016.  That's not a retaining wall in the background, it's the dirt embankment of the 2 Freeway.  Notice the fire engine and cars up on the 2 Freeway.  There is no guardrail.  There has never been a guardrail there.  In the past, enormous Eucalyptus trees stopped cars from flying off this section of freeway.

In July, CalTrans cut down all the trees in the parkway it deemed as unsafe, including the 50+ year old Eucalyptus trees that did not burn in the June 19, 2016 Silver Lake Fire.  

Photo: Red Car Property Neighbor, November 30, 2016. 
As jarring as the photos are, we shouldn't be surprised a car flew off the southbound 2 Freeway.  Neighbors have been warning about this potential scenario for months.  We hope the driver is recovering from this horrible crash.

Photo: Red Car Property Neighbor, November 30, 2016.  The scale of the 2 Freeway slope and inadequacy of the guard rail is more evident when viewed from above the Red Car Property.  The guard rail,prior to the crash and prior to the tree carnage, has always been approximately 50 long, almost all of it leading up to the overhead freeway sign.

Beginning in August, shortly after Cal Trans cut down all the trees adjacent to Corralitas Drive south of Rosebud Ave., neighbors tried to get the attention of public officials and CalTrans regarding the health and public safety issues with the recent tree carnage.  One neighbor wrote to several elected officials and CalTrans:

"I have 3 children [ages omitted] that play on the cul-de-sac. There’s only a small strip of guard rail by the freeway sign. We’ve seen a few cars end up on the ditch where the trees prevented them from ending up on Corralitas. I don’t feel safe having my kids play outside anymore. The fence on Corralitas side will not prevent a fast moving car from ending up on my street."

Photo: Red Car Property Neighbor, November 30, 2016.  You wouldn't have been safe in your own driveway from large pieces of flying car parts.  This large piece of the car easily could have killed a young child as it landed a good 12 feet up a neighbor's driveway.  Another neighbor's parked car window was shattered by flying debris. 

This summer, I had several conversations with CalTrans representatives regarding the section of the 2 Freeway burned in the Silver Lake Fire. Among other topics, I requested concrete K-Rails, the "temporary" barriers CalTrans uses to protect their workers from traffic in long term construction zones.  On multiple occasions, and despite their awareness of my documentation of the removed trees stopping cars from flying off the freeway in 2015: both CalTrans reps said the safety of the motorists on the freeway was their only concern; not the safety of the adjacent residents or users of city streets.  

If that's true, then K-Rails are warranted on the southbound 2 Freeway adjacent to Corralitas between the Rosebud Ave Overcrossing and approximately 100' north of the intersection of Allesandro Way and Lake View Ave.  Need more reasons?  Check out some of the videos on CalTrans website of trucks crashing into K-Rails. 
 

2 Freeway & Corralitas Drive: Demolished Guardrail, Chain Link Fence, Scattered Oil & Auto Parts Leave Neighbors Scratching Heads

Photo: November 30, 2016, Corralitas Neighbor.   Neighbors arrived home from work this evening to find the small 50' guardrail on the southbound lanes of the 2 Freeway absolutely demolished.  (Click on photos to enlarge.)

Photo: Corralitas Neighbor November 30, 2016.  The railing is wrapped completely around the pole, almost all of the wooden support posts were broken and scattered around the slope and Corralitas Drive below.

Photo: Corralitas Neighbor, November 30, 2016. Surmising from the flow of dirt, oil and auto parts, neighbors suspected a vehicle had flown off the freeway at high speeds, and with no large trees to stop the out of control vehicle, it crashed through the flimsy chain link fence at the base of the steep slope and landed on Corralitas Drive. 

Photo: Corralitas Neighbor, November 30, 2016.  Whatever crashed through the fence showed the inadequacy of the 50' guardrail.  The neighbor who sent these photos, also sent them to the CalTrans representatives, who, for the past several months, failed to respond to the neighbor's request for even the most temporary of barriers, concrete K-Rails or Jersey Barriers.  He was grateful neither his nor his neighbors' kids were in the street at the time of the crash.

Photo: Corralitas Neighbor, November 30, 2016.  Debris from the wreckage was on both sides of the fence, including a some that damaged one neighbor's car.  You can still see motor oil in the storm drain inlet at the front of the car's tire. 

Another neighbor emailed me inquiring about the aforementioned, as well as a large puddle of oil in the middle of the street, near her driveway.  Needless to say, neighbors were taking photos and asking questions before the sun went down.  More to follow.

Note: CalTrans removed trees it deemed as unsafe after the June 19, 2016 Silver Lake Fire.  This summer, I had several conversations with CalTrans representatives where, among other topics, I requested K-rails.  On multiple occasions, and despite their awareness of my documentation of the the removed trees stopping cars from flying off the freeway in 2015: both said the safety of the motorists on the freeway was their only concern, not the safety of the adjacent residents or users of city streets. -DE

2 Freeway: Car VS Really Big Tree

Photo: Diane Edwardson, June 12, 2015, 5:58 PM.  A blue Mazda crashed into a huge Eucalyptus Tree on the Southbound 2 Freeway at the Corralitas end of the Red Car Property.  (Click on photos to enlarge.)

I heard the telltale screeching tires and what sounded like a rollover crash (you know you've lived next to a freeway for too long...), but could not see what happened from my house.  Traffic slowed briefly, but continued on at high speeds within minutes. 

Unaware of what was going on, 10 minutes later, I finally heard a siren and saw a very large LAFD ladder truck trying to make a left turn onto Corralitas. At which point, I grabbed my camera & walked down the hill.  I saw no fire.  The ladder truck eventually backed out onto Rosebud and then Allesandro, unable to make the turn.  I did see at least a dozen neighbors coming down from the 2 Freeway from the other side of the fence.  A compact  LAFD Engine 220 was at the end of the Corralitas.   

Neighbors reported trying to help the driver and they were afraid the car would catch fire as the car was smoking for quite a while.  A couple of neighbors said it was a good 10 to 15 minutes from the time they called 911 to the time the first fire engine showed up.

Photo: Diane Edwardson, June 12, 2015. By the time I got there it appeared emergency personnel were attending to one person on the ground.  While I was there they helped a man get out of the car.  He was able to walk away.  

Neighbors also report there was debris, including a tire, strewn quite a ways into the Red Car Property.  They tossed it all back over the fence.

Photo: Diane Edwardson, June 12, 2015.  Back in March, I witnessed another accident in the same place on the Southbound 2 Freeway.  The driver lost control and ran into the tree on the right.  Good thing those are some big healthy Eucalyptus.  Perhaps it's time for some guardrails.

It's also lucky there was no fire.  The Red Car Property has yet to be cleared of brush and CalTrans has an awful lot of dead branches in the freeway parkway.

2 Freeway: No, That Car Is Not On Fire

Photo: Diane Edwardson, March 17, 2015.  A car came to a noisy crunching stop at one of the big Eucalyptus trees part the way down the slope adjacent to the Corralitas Red Car Property.  (Click on photo to enlarge.)

This morning, just as I was about to walk down to Corralitas from the Red Car Property when I heard a large crash, followed by screeching wheels as an out-of-control car blew through the loose dirt and debris in the slope below the southbound 2 Freeway.  The car was moving so fast I fully expected it to fly between the eucalyptus trees & land on the Red Car Property.  The dust was 25 feet in the air.  I was grateful it wasn't a big rig truck.

When the dust cleared, the couple was able to walk away.  They said they were OK.  The male driver said he hit a big dip & his suspension was not good & he lost control.  I think it could have been a lot worse.  They called for a tow truck.  No one driving by on the 2 Freeway bothered to stop & offer help.

I hung around for about 10 minutes as initially smoke was coming from under the rear of the car.  There is a large accumulation of dead branches & debris on the slope, I wanted to make sure we weren't going to have a fire.

When you live above a freeway you do get used to the sound of crashing cars.  You also know the sounds of bad crashes - this one sounded much worse than it was.  Fire & injuries are of more concern with serious accidents like cars flipping over, cars on fire, sig alerts, brush fires and of course the tanker that blew up on the 2 & 5 Interchange & somehow sent a piece of hot debris through a neighbor's window (yep, really happened).  

Tanker Fire At 2 & 5 Freeway Interchange Spreads To LA River Via Storm Drains*UPDATED

Photo: Diane Edwardson, July 13, 2013, 11:02 AM.  View from my neighbor's backyard on Corralitas Drive. (Click on photos to enlarge.) 

For the best photos and local updates: The Eastsider 

And a big personal THANK YOU to Jesus Sanchez, The Eastsider.  When they shut down both  freeways and Riverside Drive & tons of fire engines going past - I couldn't tell what was going on but knew it was nearby - especially when the LAFD helicopter banked steeply 50' from my house.  Neighbors on Corralitas were nervously hosing down their trees and houses.  Thanks again Eastsider!

*UPDATED with neighbors' photos...

Photo: Jonathan Vandiveer, July 13, 2013, 10:48 AM.  A huge column of oily black smoke billowed from the transition tunnels on the 2 & 5 Freeway Interchange as seen from Riverside Drive, in front of Allesandro Elementary School.  

Photo: Chrissy Fiorilli-Ellington, July 13, 2013, 11:11 AM.  The Freeways & Riverside Drive were shut down, the tanker fire at the interchange nearly out, & suddenly fire explodes out the storm drain and into the LA River (the black column of smoke on the right).  Shot from Rosebud Ave in the Semi Tropic Spiritualists' Tract.

Photo: Chrissy Fiorilli-Ellington, July 13, 2013, 11:18 AM.  The tanker spilled 8,500 gallons of gasoline according to the LAFD.  The scale of the fire in Elysian Valley was frightening. 

California Highway Patrol said late today portions of the 2 & 5 Freeways may be closed in the "long term."  Read more: The Eastsider

Handy info that was slow in coming today, but eventually useful:
LAFD Twitter Feed
CHP Southern Division

 

LAFD Photostream (includes photos fighting the fire in the LA River) 

 

2 Freeway: Another Flipped Car

Photo: Diane Edwardson, March 31, 2010, 8:38AM. Northbound 2 Freeway just south of Rosebud Ave. overcrossing, as seen from the top of the Corralitas Public Staircase. (Click on photo to enlarge.)

2 Freeway: Car Fire in 2002

Photo: Diane Edwardson, 2002. Yesterday's fire brought to mind the car fire in the same location on the 2 Freeway in March 2002. (Click on photo to enlarge.)