The driver of a speeding car was ejected onto a freeway sign during a fatal crash that caused lane closures on the 5 Freeway in the Glendale area Friday morning.
The crash happened on the southbound 5 Freeway near the Colorado Street exit around 7 a.m., according to the California Highway Patrol.
CHP identified the driver as 20-year-old Richard Pananian of Burbank.
According to CHP, Pananian was driving recklessly at high speeds when his Ford sedan collided with a pickup truck and rolled over several times.
Pananian was ejected upon impact and traveled about 20 feet in the air, landing on the metal frame of the freeway sign, according to CHP.He was pronounced dead at the scene.
"It is disturbing and it just highlights how dangerous driving at high rates of speed could be," said CHP officer Edgar Figueroa.
Firefighters used a ladder to reach and lower the body.
A tow truck driver who arrived at the scene said he had never seen a more gruesome or bizarre aftermath during his 23 years covering traffic accidents.
The driver of the pickup truck was not hurt.
A Sig Alert was issued just before 7:30 a.m., shutting down two lanes to traffic during the investigation. All lanes were reopened shortly after 10:30 a.m.
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The cause of the crash was still under investigation.
A GoFundMe account has been set up to help his family, which can be found here.
