Test

Speed was a deadly factor in a fatal Echo Park accident

The car involved in Sunday's fatal accident in Echo Park was traveling nearly 70 miles an hour on Sunset Boulevard when the driver lost control of the vehicle, an investigator said today. The driver, Stephanie Silvestre, 21, of Los Angeles, was killed and a passenger was left in critical condition following the accident near Sunset Boulevard and Mohawk Street. "Speed was the main issue," said Felix Padilla, an detective with the LAPD's Central Traffic Bureau.

A preliminary analysis of skid marks and calculations showed that Silvestre's vehicle, a Honda Accord sedan, was traveling at least 68 miles an hour as it barreled eastbound on a curving section of Sunset Boulevard, Padilla said. Padilla noted that the winding section of Sunset Boulevard west of Alvarado was the scene of a deadly accident last year. "She was just not able to make that curve," he said of Silvestre.

The car clipped a fire hydrant in front of a fire station and knocked down a light pole before it slammed against the Lucy's laundry building at the southeast corner of Sunset Boulevard and Mohawk Street. Some of the comments to a previous story on the accident took issue with what looks like a shot glass placed amid the flowers and candles in a memorial created for Silvestre.

Padilla said he was awaiting toxicology reports to determine if alcohol was involved.

Woman killed in Echo Park car crash *

A woman was killed and another critically injured early this morning after their car crashed into a building on Sunset Boulevard one block west of Alvarado Street, reports CBS 2. The car smashed into the building containing a Subway sandwich shop and Lucy's laundry at about 2 am. The location, where Sunset Boulevard bends to the south, has been the scene of numerous accidents over the years.

A memorial of flowers, candles and balloons was taking shape Sunday afternoon a few feet away from the metal lamp post that was knocked down by the car and other accident debris.

* Update: The victim has been identified as Stephanie Silvestre, 21, of Los Angeles, according to the Los Angeles County Coroner.


View Larger Map

Eastside Crime Watch

One man was murdered in Boyle Heights while a rape was reported in Lincoln Heights last week. There was also a surge in stolen vehicles - at least 20 - across Lincoln Heights and Montecito Heights. Here is a break down of some of the crimes committed during Nov. 9-Nov. 15 as found on the LAPD crime map and EveryBlock.com:

Echo Park & Silver Lake (90026)
A pair of aggravated assaults on Bixel Street south of Temple on Nov. 14; assaults on Sunset Blvd. near Micheltorena Street in Silver Lake and an assault on Boylston Street near Dodger Stadium. Burglaries reported in the 1300 blocks of Lemoyne Street and Glendale Boulevard in Echo Park.

Lincoln Heights & Montecito Heights (90031)
A rape was reported on Nov. 12 on Workman Street near Manitou Avenue in Lincoln Heights; More than 20 vehicles were stolen across Lincoln Heights and Montecito Heights

El Sereno & Monterey Hills (90032)
Three stolen vehicles and two aggravated assaults were among the crimes reported.

Boyle Heights (90033)
A man was murdered Nov. 12 in the 2600 block of Michigan Avenue; There were five violent robberies across the neighborhood and reports of 10 stolen vehicles, with two reported near the south end of Hollenbeck Park

Atwater Village & Silver Lake (90039)
Three vehicle break-ins - two of them on or near Panorama Terrace - were reported in the northwest corner of Silver Lake; a burglary and vehicle break-in were reported in the northern part of Elysian Valley.

Eagle Rock (90041)
Violent robbery in the 2000 block of Fair Park Avenue and a burglary in the 4900 block of Genevieve Avenue were among the crimes reported.

Highland Park (90042)
Two stolen vehicles and a burglary were reported or or near Figueroa between Avenue 51 and York Blvd; a violent robbery and a personal theft reported on York Blvd.

Cypress Park, Glassell Park & Mt. Washington (90065)
Two aggravated assaults on Idell Street in Cypress Park and one in Mt. Washington on Glen Muir near Avenue 44 were reported; Mt. Washington also had a burglary on Museum Drive and a stolen vehicle on Karelia Street.

This weekly report is based on the LAPD's online crime maps and police department reports filtered by ZIP code through EveryBlock.com. There are sometimes discrepancies between the LAPD and EveryBlock statistics at the time when Eastside Crime Watch is compiled. Additional crimes might be added to the reports following the publication of this post.

Photo by lobraumeister/Flickr

Highland Park residents awake to a street of broken glass

A Highland Park resident reports that the windows of several cars along Baltimore Street between Toland Way and Avenue 50 were smashed over night:

"My husband talked to one man who was cleaning off broken glass. He said that nothing was stolen. A couple of our neighbor's cars got hit."

The Eastsider is checking with LAPD to see if any more information is available

20 injured in Silver Lake bus accident *

An accident tonight involving an MTA bus on Glendale Boulevard at the 2 Freeway left about 20 people injured, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department. Most of the injuries were minor but LAFD spokeswoman Diana Igawa said that two people are in critical condition. The accident. which was reported at about 6:30 PM on the border of Silver Lake and Echo Park, involved a bus and two vehicles, Igawa said.

Glendale Boulevard is closed down in the area, reports the LAPD Central Traffic Bureau. Resident reports on Twitter say that traffic is jammed on Glendale Boulevard and surrounding streets.

"The bus seemed to have been on fire for a time, the whole front crushed and burnt ... victims sitting on the median and the side of the road," said one person who left a comment on this post. "Pretty wild."

* Update @ 10:06 PM: Southbound Glendale Boulevard at the 2 Freeway was still closed shortly before 10 PM as crews prepared to tow away the bus. Initial reports located the accident north of the freeway but the collision apparently took place south of the 2 Freeway. LA Now reports the MTA 92 bus was headed northbound when the accident occurred.

Related story:
MTA bus crash injured 19 people. Associated Press

Eastside Crime Watch

A double murder in Highland Park and numerous violent robberies in Boyle Heights were among the major crimes reported last week. Here is a break down of some of the crimes committed during Oct. 26-Nov. 1 as found on the LAPD crime map and EveryBlock.com:

Echo Park & Silver Lake (90026)
Aggravated assault in the 1600 block of Micheltorena in Silver Lake; violent robbery in the 2500 block of Sunset Boulevard; about half-dozen stolen vehicles in both neighborhoods.

Lincoln Heights & Montecito Heights (90031)
Violent robbery, vehicle-break-in and grand theft auto in Montecito Heights; two violent robberies and two aggravated assaults in Lincoln Heights.

El Sereno & Monterey Hills (90032)
Three violent robberies - two of them on or near Novgorod.

Boyle Heights (90033)
Six violent robberies and six personal thefts; three aggravated assaults in the western edge of the neighborhood.

Atwater Village & Silver Lake (90039)
Two burglaries in Atwater south of Glendale Boulevard.

Eagle Rock (90041)
Violent robbery and burglary along Eagle Rock Boulevard.

Highland Park (90042)
Double murder in the 100 block of East Avenue 45; rape in the 6000 block of Springvale Drive; three violent robberies on or near York Boulevard between avenues 51 and 57; seven stolen vehicles.

Cypress Park, Glassell Park & Mt. Washington (90065)
Aggravated assault in Glassell Park on Drew Street; two thefts from vehicles and a burglar in Mt. Washington; two stolen vehicles in Cypress Park.

This weekly report is based on the LAPD's online crime maps and police department reports filtered by ZIP code through EveryBlock.com. There are sometimes discrepancies between the LAPD and EveryBlock statistics at the time when Eastside Crime Watch is compiled. Additional crimes might be added to the reports following the publication of this post.