1 Killed, Others Injured in Four-Vehicle Crash on Lindley Avenue in Tarzana

TARZANA, CA — One person died and at least one other was hospitalized after a four-vehicle crash Sunday evening near the Tarzana-Encino border, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department.

Firefighters responded to the 6400 block of North Lindley Avenue at 6:02 p.m. after reports of a multi-vehicle collision according to AOL News. One person was pronounced dead at the scene after being extricated from a vehicle, according to CBS Los Angeles, citing an LAFD news release. CBS Los Angeles identified the surviving occupant taken to a hospital as a 35-year-old woman; KTLA described her only as a woman in her 30s. Her condition had not been released as of Monday morning.

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Aftermath of the Tarzana Accident

The crash also downed a utility pole, sending wires into the roadway. LAFD personnel told CBS Los Angeles they believed the lines were communication cables rather than live power lines. Images from the scene showed the pole resting across the hood of a sedan involved in the collision.

KTLA reported the crash occurred near the boundary separating Tarzana and Encino, while CBS Los Angeles described the location as within Encino. The Los Angeles Fire Department’s news release placed the incident in the 6400 block of North Lindley Avenue, a residential corridor that runs through both communities. The cause of the crash remained under investigation, and no arrests had been reported.

Multi-vehicle collisions remain common on San Fernando Valley arterial and residential streets. The city of Los Angeles recorded 302 traffic deaths in 2024, a decline from 345 the year before but still far above pre-pandemic totals, according to an analysis of Los Angeles Police Department Traffic Division data published by Crosstown LA. The seven LAPD stations that make up the Valley Bureau, which includes the Tarzana and Encino area, recorded 98 traffic fatalities in the years examined, matching the combined total from the four South Bureau stations despite covering a much larger geographic area. Statewide, California recorded 4,061 traffic fatalities in 2023, an 11% decrease from 4,539 the previous year, according to the California Office of Traffic Safety.

Applying California Law to Incidents Like These

Under California law, drivers owe other motorists a duty of reasonable care, codified in Civil Code Section 1714. In collisions involving multiple vehicles, liability often turns on evidence such as point of impact, speed, and each driver’s compliance with the Vehicle Code, including the basic speed law under Section 22350 and following-distance requirements under Section 21703. Fault may be apportioned among more than one driver under California’s comparative negligence framework, and investigators’ findings, along with any citations issued, typically inform that analysis. Evidence Code Section 669 allows a violation of a safety statute to establish a presumption of negligence in a civil case.

When a crash results in death, California law permits certain surviving family members to bring a wrongful death claim under Code of Civil Procedure Sections 377.60 and 377.61. A separate survival action under Section 377.30 may allow recovery for damages the deceased could have claimed had they survived, including pain and suffering between the time of the crash and death. Civil claims arising from the crash are generally subject to the two-year statute of limitations set out in Code of Civil Procedure Section 335.1, though that period can be shortened significantly if a public entity, such as a city or utility agency, bears responsibility for a hazard like a damaged utility pole, triggering the six-month claim-filing window under the Government Claims Act.

Contact J&Y Law for a Free Consultation

Losing a loved one in a crash like this one leaves families facing decisions they never expected to make, often while also managing medical bills, lost income, and grief. California law gives surviving family members a limited window to pursue accountability, and evidence at a crash scene, including skid marks, debris fields, and damaged infrastructure, can begin disappearing within days. J&Y Law represents families across Los Angeles and the San Fernando Valley in wrongful death and serious injury cases on a contingency-fee basis, meaning there is no cost to speak with an attorney and no fee unless the case results in a recovery. A free consultation can help clarify legal options and applicable deadlines before they pass