A Friday-night crash involving multiple vehicles on Fountain Avenue has once again highlighted the danger of one of West Hollywood’s busiest and most unpredictable streets.
Maria Tregutzis was driving west when a car tried to make what she described as a “blind left turn” onto Fountain. “There was no visibility for that car to have made a turn,” she told WEHOonline. “Once I saw it, I swerved, and that set off a domino effect.”
The impact set off a chain reaction involving another car. The driver who caused the crash, believed to be in a white vehicle, kept going. “They just kept going,” Maria said. “I was in shock, but I’m grateful we’re all okay.”
An Amazon delivery worker nearby escaped injury. “He was about to deliver a package,” Maria recalled. “I’m just grateful nobody got seriously hurt.”
West Hollywood Sheriff’s Deputy Pendleton confirmed to WEHOonline that the car “made a left turn and kept driving,” and deputies are now searching for the suspect vehicle.
This incident adds to a string of recent accidents along Fountain Avenue, including two multi-car crashes in September and the fatal hit-and-run that killed cyclist Blake Ackerman earlier this year near Gardner Street.
City officials say the long-planned Streetscape Project will eventually calm traffic by narrowing lanes, adding protected bike lanes, and improving crosswalks. But not everyone is on board. Some residents argue that the redesign will make traffic worse and remove valuable parking. Others believe the changes don’t go far enough to address speeding and visibility problems.
For now, the debate continues and so do the crashes.
“I know this area,” Maria said. “I was being careful. But something about Fountain… it’s like you can feel it coming.”
Anyone with information or dash-cam footage from the Friday-night crash is urged to contact the West Hollywood Sheriff’s Station: (310) 855-8850.
Fountain Ave. is not the best throughway for traveling west and east in the city of West Hollywood. The street dead ends at La Cienga Blvd., so all the cars will have to go to either Sunset or Santa Monica Blvd. if you are traveling westbound. The heavy traffic on Fountain belongs on Sunset and Santa Monica Blvds. as those streets are designed to handle the heavier traffic.I bet most of the cars on Fountain Ave. either do not originate or destinate in West Hollywood. Could the city block Fountain Ave. at La Brea Ave. to improve those traffic patterns… Read more »
YES, we need a bike lane and less parking and only 2 lanes on Fountain. Imagine there is a fire and responders cannot respond. Imagine when an Athens truck is blocking a lane and the traffic backup and cars trying to pass into the oncoming traffic. Seems logical to me. F Erickison. Good luck getting elected, not.
We said that before Erickson’s last election ….. but Unite Here took care of him. And here we are!
This safe street for all isn’t what we are getting. If speed and safety was a concern ask yourself why the plans do not adjust a single traffic signal or adjust dangerous left hand turns along the street. All these plans do is add protected bike lanes with the concept that those will be enough of a deterrent to slow traffic down. The reduced 30mph speed has done nothing to prevent accidents
Except this accident was caused by a person making a “blind” left turn on to Fountain; this accident was caused by a person’s complete lack of care, it has nothing to do with Fountain’s design. But I agree that we can make Fountain safer by adding better signalization.
It’s a City. Accidents happen. 😆 omg
It’s not news, but then again this isn’t a news site.