Last Updated on January 13, 2023 by CCAR Staff
A 20-year-old man died Friday in a high-speed rollover crash on the southbound 5 Freeway that propelled him onto a 20-foot-tall freeway sign, authorities said.
The crash that killed Burbank resident Richard Pananian happened about 7 a.m. near Colorado Boulevard and the 134 Freeway interchange.
Pananian, who was not wearing a seatbelt, was ejected when his Ford compact collided with another vehicle and rolled over several times, according to the California Highway Patrol.
The momentum flung him 20 to 30 feet in the air onto the walkway of the Colorado Boulevard freeway sign.
Authorities covered the body, which remained there for about three hours. About 10 a.m., the CHP closed the freeway for around 20 minutes in both directions while firefighters removed the body.
“Driving at a high rate of speed, not wearing (a) seatbelt, and rolling over … people get ejected out of cars like that,” CHP Officer Edgar Figueroa said.
