Fatal crash sparks brush fire in Granada Hills, closes E/B 118 Freeway for 5 hours
A motorist was killed early Sunday after a car veered off the 118 Freeway in Granada Hills and burst into flames, authorities said.
The crash ignited a small brush fire and eastbound lanes of the freeway were closed for about five hours, said Officer Alex Rubio of the California Highway Patrol.
Rubio said the incident, which occurred about 3:16 a.m. just east of Encino Avenue, remained under investigation and few details were available.
The person killed had not been identified and even the gender was not immediately known due to the body being burned in the fire, Rubio said.
The car, possibly a Toyota, traveled approximately 20 feet up an embankment before catching fire, he said. It was unclear if the vehicle struck an object or came to rest on its own. It was also not immediately known if there were other occupants of the car.
Twitter: @scottgloverLAT
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