Editor’s note: The decedent was later identified as a recruit firefighter rendering aid to a crash victim. No fatalities were reported in the original collision.
Drivers on a busy stretch of the 101 Freeway had their commutes heavily impacted by a crash on Monday morning.
Preliminary information indicates the crash took place around 5:20 a.m. on the northbound side of the 101 at Lankershim Boulevard in Studio City.
Video from Sky5 shows multiple vehicles that had smashed into a sanitation truck carrying porta potties.
One person was pronounced dead at the scene, authorities confirmed. They were later identified as a Los Angeles Fire Department recruit firefighter who was rendering aid to one of the crash victims.
According to KTLA 5 traffic reporter Ginger Chan, multiple victims were transported to nearby hospitals.
First responders on the scene quickly blocked off all but one lane for the investigation, and a SigAlert was issued for the affected stretch of roadway.
Traffic remained backed up past Barham Boulevard throughout the early morning rush hour.
What caused the initial crash and the collision with the recruit firefighter remains under investigation.