Fatal Wrong-Way Crash on 405 Freeway in Hawthorne Claims One Life

One person died in a wrong-way crash on the 405 Freeway in Hawthorne early Tuesday morning. The incident occurred just before 1 a.m. when a driver was reported traveling south in the northbound lanes, leading to a collision south of Rosecrans Avenue, according to California Highway Patrol (CHP) logs.

Witnesses alerted authorities about the wrong-way vehicle shortly before the crash, and by 12:50 a.m., multiple reports of a collision began to come in, with some stating that a vehicle was on fire. The crash involved at least five vehicles, blocking traffic lanes.

In response, CHP officers, firefighters, and paramedics arrived at the scene, prompting the complete shutdown of the northbound 405 Freeway. All lanes were reopened by just after 5 a.m. The investigation into the circumstances surrounding the crash is ongoing.