GRIFFITH PARK—One person was reported dead following a single-car crash that transpired at 2:30 a.m. on Thursday, August 13, near the 5900 block of Forest Lawn Drive in Griffith Park. The car caught fire, killing the driver. The flames ignited a tree and damaged a traffic light.
Officers and a Los Angeles Police Department helicopter searched the scene for anyone who might have been ejected from the vehicle, but no other victims were found. Investigators are still determining the cause of the crash. The name of the driver has not been released.
That stretch of Forest Lawn Drive has been known for a high volume of crashes. LADOT data shows that 83 crashes occurred on Forest Lawn Drive between 2013 and 2023. Three of those crashes resulted in deaths or serious injuries.
The road is considered dangerous because of its blind curves and because drivers often exceed the posted speed limit. Los Angeles City Councilmember Nithya Raman’s office launched the Forest Lawn Safety and Mobility Project following a fatal crash on the road in 2022. The plan called for resurfacing the road and reconfiguring it to reduce speeds and improve safety for drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians.
Nearby Forest Lawn and Mount Sinai cemeteries pushed back on the proposal over traffic concerns. As of April 2024, the project’s design was still being finalized, and no public updates on its status have been issued since.
