Another collision at the now-infamous corner of Fountain and La Brea happened just after 10 a.m. Wednesday, when two cars collided, scattering debris and blocking traffic. One of the vehicles came within feet of the Trendsetter Barber Shop on the corner.
Deputies say a Volkswagen Tiguan and a Chevy pickup came together in the middle of the intersection as one tried to make a left turn. Both drivers stayed at the scene, and traffic was briefly diverted while deputies from the West Hollywood Sheriff’s Station cleared things up.
When WEHOonline asked the Volkswagen driver what happened, he said, “I don’t have time for this… no comment.”
A sheriff’s deputy nearby gave a quick rundown of what investigators believe took place. “One of the cars was making a left turn south onto La Brea,” the deputy said. “It was the truck making the turn. The other car, the Volkswagen, was going straight southbound on La Brea.”
The crash is the second near that corner in less than a two weeks. Neighbors say the problem isn’t new. That’s part of the reason why the City is attempting to slow things down.
The City Council signed off on a citywide plan to lower speed limits, including along Fountain Avenue and La Brea Avenue. It’s part of West Hollywood’s Vision Zero effort to eliminate serious and fatal crashes. The changes were made possible through California’s Assembly Bill 43, which allows cities to set more context-appropriate speed limits.
Under the plan, speed limits on most major streets are dropping from 35 mph to 30 mph. Smaller commercial streets will go to 25 mph, and narrow residential roads will be capped at 20 mph. Data from the National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO) shows that a person hit by a car traveling at 35 mph is five times more likely to die than a person hit by a car traveling at 20 mph and that a 1 mph reduction in vehicle operating speeds can result in a 17% decrease in fatal crashes.
By the time I left the scene traffic was moving again, with the exception of the right turn lane which was still blocked waiting for tow trucks.
When a single week can’t go by without a serious accident on Fountain Ave it leaves NO doubt that NOT ONLY is the Fountain Avenue Streetscape Project completely justified with it’s Protected Bike Lanes & lane reducing Road Diet which have been proven traffic calming measures but, if the same thing were happening elsewhere like South or East LA; the entire road would be completely shut down until the project was completed.
It happened at the INTERSECTION of Fountain and La Brea. By your logic we should reduce La Brea down to two lanes.
I see extending the Protected Bike Lanes & lane reduction (Road Diet) to other streets in West Hollywood and Los Angeles as part of an over goal of completely phasing out private fossil fuel vehicles in favor of EVs and Public Transit. West Hollywood might be a great place to start making some streets car-free if not the entire city❗👏
The reduced speed limits have been in place for a while and yet more accidents continue to happen. Are we going to just continue to lower the speed limit every time an accident occurs. Oh wait. Protect bike lanes and reduced lanes for vehicles are the answer to all safety issues. No need to change traffic signals or adjust left hand turns. Congestion will help control traffic speeds.
Making a left turn from Fountain has always been a challenge at this intersection. A left turn signal would be a good idea. (a good idea like 40 years ago)
Better yet banning left turns when possible significantly improves traffic safety by reducing collisions, especially in dense urban areas with high traffic volume. Research consistently indicates that left turns are involved in the highest % of intersection crashes, and eliminating them can lead to fewer accidents and injuries for drivers, pedestrians, and cyclists.
So let’s ban all left turns.
Problem solved!
Just wait until Fountain is two lanes and traffic is at a standstill because someone is making a left turn.
That would be illegal and that person intercepted by a Traffic Enforcement Drone, vehicle impounded & Driver’s License Suspended.
Problem solved❗
Autonomous cars can’t come fast enough. People are not paying attention, they’re speeding, driving while high. Bring in the robots. These accidents will decrease to almost zilch. OR we could spend MILLIONS of tax payer money to put in bike lanes that will do NOTHING to correct driver behavior or increase public safety. They’ll just be running into the people on bikes.
Question….how would a protected bike lane have prevented that accident?
Answer …It wouldn’t have!
Also merely dropping the speed limit 5 mph without more traffic signals and more enforcement won’t help either.
The city needs to look for better solutions!
It’s a human thing. People sometimes equals accidents. It will obviously happen a lot more in dense urban areas. I don’t what the big deal is. The city can’t legislate people’s indifference to driving rules.
Bicyclists and e-scooter users need to be accountable for reckless mobility as well. I have seen numerous users run thru red lights and two people riding on one scooter illegally. Cyclists with children on the seat is ruled child endangerment. Also. if sharrow markings exist why are cyclists also allowed to ride on the sidewalks if they wish? Enough is enough just blaming motorists for accidents
I absolutely agree with you. But this appears to be a two car accident. So not sure why you’re bringing scooters and bicycles into it.
Seriously, why did you bring scooters and bicycles into the conversation? If you have an agenda, take it where’s it relevant. Otherwise, leave it alone.
It’s widely acknowledged by residents, local officials, and even traffic experts that Fountain Avenue in West Hollywood has an exceptionally high rate of collisions, injuries, and fatalities; making it one of the city’s (both West Hollywood & Los Angeles) most dangerous streets. The high accident rate is attributed to issues such as speeding, a lack of safe infrastructure for pedestrians and cyclists, and drivers using it as a high-speed “cut-through” route. Human nature on other roads does NOT have these results❗
Every road is a cut-thru. It’s called a street for a reason. Taking away elements of residential neighborhood necessities such as parking is not a solution but merely shifting unsafe conditions to others. I will continue to ask why bicyclists get away with not following the laws of the road similarly to what motorists should be following. Let’s actually turn Fountain Ave into 4 way stops to slow traffic. It works well east of La Brea. Sharrows work on residential streets
Excessive free parking is a problem & should be reduced or eliminated. There are parking garages & rich people should use them. Vehicles mainly private automobiles have a significantly higher duty of care due to their overwhelming ability to do harm in comparison to cyclists & pedestrians & law enforcement should reflect this, a core principle in traffic law & liability cases. Wealthy motorists engage in victim blaming when it comes to cyclists & pedestrians believing they’re entitled to the greatest of transit access. NO problem with addons like 4 way stops in addition to the Fountain Ave Streetscape Project.