Teens Joyride Turns Fatal After Fiery Crash

Los Angeles; On February 20, 2024, at 12:13 a.m., a West Valley Patrol Unit observed a Toyota Camry driving southbound Balboa Avenue without its lights on. The officers attempted to conduct a traffic stop for the infraction; however, the driver did not stop. As a result of the only violation being an infraction, officers did not pursue the vehicle.

The officers continued to drive in the Camry’s direction and observed the Camry in the distance negotiate an eastbound turn onto Ventura Boulevard. When officers reached the intersection of Ventura Boulevard and Balboa Avenue, they observed the aftermath of a single-party crash involving the Camry and a fixed object (tri-light signal). As officers deployed on the Camry, it began to smoke and caught on fire. The officers approached the vehicle and broke the vehicle’s window in an attempt to open the door and save the occupants. The officers were able to remove the two front occupants. After the front occupants were extracted, the vehicle erupted into flames preventing the officers from extracting the rear occupant. The rear passenger was trapped in the vehicle and was pronounced deceased at scene.

The Los Angeles Fire Department responded, extinguished the fire, and transported the injured to a local hospital. At the hospital, the driver was evaluated for impairment, but did not display any sign of impairment. The investigation revealed that all three occupants were friends and resided close to each other. The driver was a 14-year-old female, front passenger was an 18-year-old female, and rear passenger was a 16-year-old female.

The Multi-Disciplinary Collision Investigation Team responded to the scene to conduct the Traffic Crash Report.