Los Angeles, CA - One Killed, 35-Year-Old Woman Hospitalized After Four-Car Crash Downs Power Lines

Los Angeles, California (July 5, 2026) - The 6400 block of Lindley Avenue, near the Tarzana-Encino border, became the scene of a four-vehicle crash on the evening of July 5, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department.

Firefighters arrived around 6:02 p.m. and found the collision had knocked down a utility pole, sending telephone lines crashing into the street. LAFD said the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power was notified to secure the downed lines while crews worked the scene.

One person was extricated from a vehicle and pronounced dead. Their identity has not been released. A 35-year-old woman involved in the crash was taken to a nearby hospital, LAFD said, though her condition was not confirmed. Photos from the scene showed the fallen pole resting across the hood of a black sedan damaged in the wreck.

The circumstances leading up to the collision remain under investigation. This is a developing story. Details may change as the investigation continues.

A crash violent enough to bring down power lines over a city block leaves more than property damage behind. It leaves a family waiting for answers about how someone they loved didn't make it home.

Fatal Multi-Vehicle Crashes in Los Angeles, California

Can a family move forward with a claim while the crash is still under investigation?
Yes. A civil wrongful death claim runs on its own timeline and doesn't have to wait for LAFD or LAPD to close their file. Utility records, debris patterns, and any surveillance or dashcam footage from the block can support a claim well before an official cause is announced.

What can a wrongful death claim recover in California?
Surviving family members can pursue funeral and burial costs, the financial support the victim would have provided, and the loss of their companionship and guidance under California Code of Civil Procedure § 377.60.

Does having four vehicles involved change how fault gets determined?
It can. When several cars collide in sequence, investigators often find that more than one driver contributed, through following distance, speed, or how each car reacted to the vehicle ahead of it. California's pure comparative fault rule lets a family recover even if more than one party shares blame.

What is the filing deadline?
Wrongful death claims in California must generally be filed within two years of the date of death (CCP § 377.60). Since this crash happened on July 5, 2026, that deadline falls on July 5, 2028.

Contact Our Los Angeles Wrongful Death Attorneys

Losing someone in a crash that also tore down power lines over a city block is the kind of loss that comes with more questions than answers, and no family should have to chase those answers alone.

Our Los Angeles wrongful death lawyers have taken multi-vehicle and catastrophic crash cases to trial rather than settling them quietly, and that trial-ready posture is often what moves an insurer to take a claim seriously.

Utility company incident reports and any nearby dashcam or doorbell footage from Lindley Avenue won't stay available forever, so preserving that evidence now, while it still exists, matters.

We work on contingency. There's nothing owed upfront, and nothing owed at all unless we recover for your family.

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Legal Disclaimer

This page is attorney advertising and is provided for general informational purposes only. It is not legal advice and does not create an attorney-client relationship. Incident information is based on publicly available reports and may change as the investigation continues. The Law Offices of Christian Contreras is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to any law enforcement or emergency response agency. Past results do not guarantee future outcomes, and no outcome is promised or implied.