The holiday travel rush in Southern California is causing significant delays on freeways and at airports, with record numbers of Americans traveling and an incoming storm expected to further disrupt plans. Travelers are advised to leave early due to busy roads and weather conditions.
An unhoused man was caught on video throwing rocks onto the 110 Freeway in Los Angeles, causing a motorcyclist to crash and multiple flat tires. The man walked away from the scene, and the California Highway Patrol had no additional information on the incident.
A suspected carjacker led California Highway Patrol on a multi-freeway pursuit starting on the 10 Freeway and ending on the 405 Freeway near the Springdale Street exit in Westminster, where police used a spike strip to deflate the truck's tire. The driver, in a black Toyota Tundra, was arrested after exiting the vehicle.
Cordell Patrick recalls being ejected from a moving RV on a Southern California freeway after his wife fell asleep at the wheel, causing the vehicle to collide with the center median. Patrick was thrown out of the driver’s side window and landed on the opposite lanes of the busy freeway, but miraculously survived with severe injuries including multiple broken bones, a dislocated shoulder, and lacerations. He credits divine intervention for his survival and is grateful to be alive.
Waymo's fully driverless vehicles will now be operating on Phoenix's freeways, initially offering rides to employees and their friends before expanding to paying passengers through the Waymo One ridehailing app. This move aims to address customer concerns about longer trip times due to the avoidance of highways by self-driving cars. Waymo plans to collect data and feedback from passengers to improve highway driving and hopes to provide faster routes, particularly for trips to Phoenix's airports, which are a key source of revenue for ridehailing services.
Angry commuters confronted pro-Palestinian protesters who blocked the southbound 110 Freeway in downtown Los Angeles during rush hour. The protesters, organized by the far-left anti-Israel group IfNotNow, called for a cease-fire in the Israel-Gaza war. Some motorists got out of their vehicles and physically confronted the demonstrators, leading to fistfights. The California Highway Patrol eventually detained 75 protesters, and incidents of physical violence will be investigated. The protesters described the highway rally as a desperate act to raise awareness about the situation in Gaza.
A cougar that was spotted in the Lowry Hill neighborhood of Minneapolis was struck and killed by a motorist on Interstate 394. The driver, Nathan Kmetz, was unable to stop in time and collided with the cougar, causing his car to go into the median. Kmetz suffered minor injuries from the impact and the deployment of his Hummer's airbag.
An elevated Los Angeles freeway that was closed for over a week due to an arson fire has reopened ahead of schedule, weeks earlier than expected. The fire, fueled by flammable materials stored under the roadway in violation of a company's lease, caused significant damage to the Interstate 10 freeway. Governor Gavin Newsom announced that the freeway would be "fully operational" before Monday's rush hour, with periodic closures expected in the coming weeks for ongoing repairs. State investigators have released photos of a "person of interest" in connection with the fire and are seeking public assistance in locating him.
The westbound 105 Freeway in Willowbrook, California, was closed for several hours after a California Highway Patrol (CHP) officer shot a man who was reportedly walking in traffic lanes. The incident occurred near the Wilmington Avenue offramp, and details about the shooting and the condition of the person shot are currently unknown. No officers were injured, and the freeway has since been reopened.
State investigators had identified fire and safety hazards at a leased storage space under a Los Angeles freeway before it was set ablaze in an arson fire. The fire, fueled by flammable materials stored in violation of the company's lease, closed a section of Interstate 10 for days. Documents released by the California Department of Transportation revealed repeated violations and problematic conditions at the site, which had been leased since 2008. The state is now reassessing the practice of leasing land under roads. Authorities are seeking the public's help to identify a person of interest in the arson case.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass held a press conference to provide updates on the fire that destroyed part of the 10 Freeway in downtown Los Angeles. The fire, which started in a storage yard, quickly spread to the freeway overpass, causing significant structural damage. The freeway will remain closed until further notice, and the cleanup process is expected to take a considerable amount of time. No homes were affected, and the residents of the encampment underneath the freeway have been relocated. The investigation into the cause of the fire is expected to be completed soon.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency after a massive fire broke out at a storage yard in downtown Los Angeles, causing the closure of a major freeway. The fire, which started in the early morning, spread to eight acres and destroyed an LAFD fire engine and several vehicles. No injuries were reported. The state will assess the damage, remove hazardous waste, and begin repairs as soon as possible. The extent of the damage to the freeway is being evaluated, and it will remain closed for at least 24 hours.
A motorcyclist died after losing control and crashing on the southbound I-17 near Indian School Road in Phoenix. The motorcyclist was reportedly traveling at a high speed before the accident, resulting in a severe head and neck injury. The victim was taken to a hospital but did not survive. The identity of the motorcyclist has not been released.
A person involved in a police chase in Sacramento died after being hit by multiple vehicles on the freeway. The chase began around 3:50 a.m. but the police lost sight of the vehicle. The vehicle eventually crashed, and some individuals fled the scene. One of them was struck by multiple vehicles, with the first being a large vehicle. Two vehicles involved in the accident stayed at the scene. The incident caused temporary road closures, and the reason for the police chase has not been disclosed.
A motorcyclist was shot and killed on the Avenue L off-ramp of the 14 Freeway in Lancaster, California. The shooting occurred during a dispute between the motorcyclist and the occupants of a gray Toyota Rav-4. The victim died at the scene, and the suspect vehicle fled the area. The California Highway Patrol is investigating the incident.