101 Freeway Death Caused By Alleged Drunken Driver

A man was struck and killed by an alleged drunken driver in an SUV after he got out of his stopped car on the slow lane of the westbound 101 Freeway in Encino early Sunday, CHP officials said.

Two female passengers in the stopped car were also seriously injured, said CHP Officer Ed Jacobs.

The deceased, who was described only as a 25-year-old Hispanic male, was hit on the westbound 101 Freeway at Balboa Boulevard at about 4:15 a.m. after he exited his silver Scion, Jacobs said.

It was not known why the vehicle had stopped in the roadway instead of the shoulder. The incident is still under investigation.

"It looks like he was trying to push the car, but we can't really tell," Jacobs said. "The other guy came along and pinned him between the two cars."

The male victim was pronounced dead at the scene. The two female passengers in the stopped car were in critical condition when they were transported to local hospitals.

The suspect driving the SUV was arrested and will be charged with driving under the influence and vehicular manslaughter, Jacobs said.

Jacobs did not give further information about the suspect or the victims. Traffic was reduced to one and then two lanes for about four hours. The incident is a reminder that motorists should never stop on the freeway, he said.

"If you have something wrong with your car, make sure you get all the way off, the minimum to the shoulder," he said.

If someone were to have a flat tire, for example, people are often unaware that they can drive on it which will ruin the tire "but is better than getting run over."

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