A devastating wrong-way crash occurred in the early hours of Easter Sunday, April 20, 2025, on the 10 Freeway near downtown Los Angeles. The incident resulted in one fatality and left three others seriously injured, including a young child.
According to the California Highway Patrol (CHP), a 25-year-old man driving a Kia Stinger was traveling westbound in the eastbound lanes when he collided head-on with a Honda Fit near Santa Fe Avenue. The impact tragically killed the 33-year-old driver of the Honda, a Los Angeles resident, who was pronounced dead at the scene.
The driver of the Kia and his two passengers — a 22-year-old woman and a 5-year-old girl — were hospitalized with injuries. Authorities noted that the child was not secured in a car seat or with a seatbelt, which may have worsened her injuries.
CHP officials believe impairment may have played a role in the crash. The wrong-way driver was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence and murder. The collision resulted in the shutdown of several eastbound lanes of the 10 Freeway for several hours as officials conducted their investigation.
Source: MSN News – “Deadly Wrong-Way Crash Shuts Down Freeway in Downtown Los Angeles on Easter Sunday”
At the Law Offices of Burg & Brock, we recognize the profound heartbreak that accompanies sudden and preventable tragedies — especially when they happen on a meaningful day like Easter Sunday.
If you or someone you love has been harmed by a reckless or impaired driver, it’s important to know that you have legal options. Our firm has decades of experience handling personal injury and wrongful death claims in California. We fight to hold negligent drivers accountable and help victims recover compensation for medical costs, lost wages, pain and suffering, and emotional distress.
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When a collision results in death, California law allows specific family members to bring a wrongful death claim. The categories are defined by statute and generally include a surviving spouse or domestic partner, children, and, where there is no surviving spouse or issue, others who would be entitled to the property of the person who died. Certain dependents, including a putative spouse, stepchildren, or parents who were financially dependent, may also qualify. A wrongful death claim compensates surviving family members for their own losses, including financial support, funeral and burial expenses, and the loss of the companionship, guidance, and society the person provided. A separate claim, called a survival action, covers losses the person themselves sustained before death, such as medical expenses and lost earnings. California law changed here. For survival actions filed on or after January 1, 2026, damages for the decedent’s own pain, suffering, or disfigurement are no longer recoverable. Cases filed before that date are not affected, and different rules can apply in elder abuse matters. Eligibility depends on family circumstances, filing deadlines are strict, and the damages available depend in part on when a case is filed. California imposes reporting duties on drivers that are separate from any insurance claim. A report must be filed with the DMV on form SR-1 within ten days of a collision that caused any injury, any death, or more than one thousand dollars in property damage to any one person. This duty applies regardless of fault, applies even when police responded and wrote their own report, and is not satisfied by notifying an insurance company. With current repair costs, most collisions that involve a body shop meet the damage threshold. A separate rule covers collisions causing injury or death. The driver must make a written report to the California Highway Patrol, or to the city police department where the collision happened in a city, within twenty four hours. The statute states this duty for every injury or fatal collision. In practice, where officers responded and completed a report at the scene, that report generally satisfies the agency’s need, but a driver who assumes this without confirming it is relying on practice rather than on the text of the law. Missing the DMV deadline can lead to suspension of driving privileges, an outcome unrelated to who caused the collision. Losing a family member in a collision raises urgent legal questions, often long before anyone feels ready to ask them. These guides set out the basics, with no obligation attached.What California law says after a car accident
Who may bring a wrongful death claim in California
Reporting requirements after a California collision
Information for Families After a Fatal Collision