A driver was arrested on suspicion of second-degree murder Friday after a fatal crash that occurred as he and another driver were seen weaving "in and out of traffic" at high speeds in Sunland, police said.
The male driver of a black Nissan 370Z was detained for his possible involvement in the crash early Friday morning, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. A female driver in her mid-30s was killed when her Infiniti G class vehicle struck a utility pole just after midnight in the 10100 block of Sunland Boulevard.
Luis Tapia, 28, of Sunland, was later arrested on suspicion of second-degree murder, Los Angeles police said. The driver "contributed to the cause" of the crash, police said.
"Two vehicles were observed traveling at a high rate of speed in and out of traffic, and unfortunately one of the vehicles lost control through one of the S-turns on Sunland Boulevard between La Canada Way and Whitman," LAPD Lt. Bill Bustos said.
The driver was trapped after the car sheared a telephone pole and the vehicle overturned. Firefighters attempted to extricate the woman and provide aid, but she was pronounced dead at the scene.
"We're not saying racing at this particular point, we don't know if those drivers were just driving fast.... Or if there was illegal street racing going on," Bustos said.
Tapia's bond was set at $1 million.
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Sunland Boulevard was closed for hours as LAPD officers collected evidence at the scene. The road reopened to traffic just after 6 a.m.
NBC4's Jonathan Lloyd contributed to this report.
