Hawthorne Crash Leaves 1 Dead, 3 Injured at Inglewood Avenue

Hawthorne, CA (May 18, 2026) — One person is dead and three others were rushed to the hospital after a violent chain-reaction crash tore through a busy South Bay intersection Sunday morning — a wreck that at least one witness says was entirely preventable.

The crash happened at 11:49 a.m. at the intersection of Imperial Highway and Inglewood Avenue in Hawthorne. Officers responded to the scene and found four vehicles with significant damage and multiple injured parties. The crash left debris across an entire roadway and bystanders running toward the wreckage before first responders could even arrive.

If you or someone you love was hurt or killed in a car accident, call J&Y Law for support today.

Witness Travis Williamson told Eyewitness News he saw a blue Durango coming at what he estimated to be 80 mph or more, not slowing, not braking, not yielding — blowing straight through a red light. “He didn’t slow down, stop, hit the brakes, yield or nothing,” Williamson said. 

According to police, the driver of the blue SUV collided with one vehicle, setting off a chain reaction involving four cars total. Williamson said he jumped out of his truck and ran toward the wreckage. When he reached one car, he checked the driver’s pulse and couldn’t find one. Then he noticed a young woman in the passenger seat nobody else had seen. He called out to her, and she responded — still conscious. 

Los Angeles County Fire Department firefighters had to extricate two of the victims from the wreckage. Two people were listed in extremely critical condition. One of those patients died after arriving at the hospital. Two other patients were also hospitalized with injuries. The deceased has not been publicly identified.

Police have not confirmed whether speed or alcohol was a factor in the crash, though the witness account paints a stark picture of a driver who made no effort to stop at a controlled intersection in the middle of a Sunday morning. 

The intersection of Imperial Highway and Inglewood Avenue was shut down for several hours before police reopened it. 

Hawthorne Crash from a Legal Standpoint

When a driver blows through a red light at high speed and triggers a multi-car pileup, the legal questions become urgent. California drivers have a duty of care to everyone sharing the road. When that duty is breached — especially through reckless behavior like running a red light at freeway speeds on a city street — and that breach causes injury or death, the groundwork for a personal injury or wrongful death claim is laid.

The surviving victims in this crash, including those still fighting for their lives, and the families of those injured or killed, may have legal options. Chain-reaction crashes like this one often involve multiple liable parties, and the investigation into exactly what caused this wreck is only beginning.

The Hawthorne Police Department’s Traffic Bureau is leading the investigation. Anyone with information or video footage of the crash is asked to call the Traffic Bureau at 310-349-2701. 

Video and witness testimony are critical in cases like this. If you were near the intersection of Imperial Highway and Inglewood Avenue around 11:49 a.m. Sunday and saw what happened, or if your dashcam captured any part of it, contact police — and if you or a loved one was injured in this crash, contact an attorney before you speak with any insurance company.

The investigation is ongoing. This story will be updated as new information becomes available.