Hossein Safaie Killed on 5 Freeway Near Griffith Park

LOS ANGELES, CA – Hossein Safaie, a 77-year-old man died early Friday morning in a multi-vehicle crash on the southbound 5 Freeway near Griffith Park, according to the California Highway Patrol and the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s office.

The crash was reported at 2:56 a.m. Friday, June 19, on the southbound 5 south of Glendale Boulevard in the Atwater Village area. The victim was identified as Hossein Safaie, whose city of residence was not available, according to the Medical Examiner’s office. A second person was transported to a hospital by paramedics. The cause of the collision had not been determined as of Friday, and investigators had not yet confirmed how many vehicles were involved. The CHP issued a Sigalert for the southbound 5 lanes at 3:22 a.m.; it was canceled at 5:55 a.m.

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Hossei Safaie’s Accident on the 5 Fwy

The stretch of Interstate 5 running through Atwater Village and past Griffith Park has been the site of repeated serious crashes in recent years, many of them occurring in the early morning hours when traffic thins and speeds rise.

In January 2026, Moses Jimenez was killed in a separate multi-vehicle collision on the northbound 5 in Atwater Village, with a Sigalert closing all northbound lanes for hours. That same month, a 25-year-old man was ejected and pronounced dead after a multi-vehicle crash on the northbound 5 near the Los Feliz Boulevard off-ramp, leaving five others hospitalized. In September 2024, a 19-year-old woman was killed on the connector road from the eastbound 134 Freeway to the southbound 5 when the driver of a Honda sedan lost control, overturned, and came to rest on its roof partially blocking a lane — the vehicle described by CHP as having been cut apart by fire. The corridor’s deadliest recorded incident in recent memory came in April 2017, when a multi-vehicle collision involving two big rigs ignited a fire on the southbound 5 near Zoo Drive, killing one person and injuring ten others, one critically, with firefighting and debris removal closing southbound travel for nearly eight hours.

The segment where Friday’s crash occurred sits just south of the 134 Freeway interchange — a transition zone where multiple on-ramps and lane shifts concentrate merging traffic. Late-night conditions on this stretch can combine reduced visibility with higher operating speeds, factors that CHP investigators typically examine in crash causation.

If You Lost a Family Member in This Crash

J&Y Law represents families throughout California who have lost a loved one in a freeway crash or other serious collision. Our attorneys handle wrongful death and personal injury cases on a contingency basis, meaning there are no fees unless we recover for you. If your family was affected by this crash or a similar incident, contact J&Y Law for a free consultation. Our team handles the investigation, negotiation, and litigation so your family can focus on what comes next.