The driver of a box truck was arrested on suspicion of DUI in a crash that killed a man who rear-ended the truck on the 101 Freeway in Sherman Oaks, authorities said.
The fiery crash happened shortly before 2 a.m. on the eastbound 101 Freeway at Van Nuys Boulevard, according to the California Highway Patrol. The driver of the box truck was taken into custody for DUI, the CHP said.
The SUV crashed into the back of the box truck, and the SUV's sole occupant, a 30 to 40-year-old man, died at the scene, said the Los Angeles Fire Department's Margaret Stewart. There were no other victims.
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Two eastbound lanes were open as of 4 a.m., according to the CHP. It's unknown when all lanes will reopen but CHP says they hope to do so by 6 a.m.
Authorities withheld the name of the fatally injured man, who was from Ventura, pending notification of his relatives. There were no other patients.
The 29-year-old driver of the truck was booked on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs, according to the CHP and the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. He was held on $15,000 bail.
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According to the CHP, an arriving officer found the Freightliner box truck stopped in the No. 4 lane of the freeway with the SUV partially beneath the larger vehicle, and as the officer approached the wreckage, the SUV caught fire.
The officer put out the flames with a fire extinguisher, but the driver died, the CHP reported.
Details about why the truck was stopped on the freeway were not immediately available.
