A crash that occurred on the 101 Freeway in Studio City on Tuesday morning resulted in the deaths of two people, one of whom was an off-duty deputy with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.
The deputy was a passenger in a ride-sharing vehicle that was involved in the accident that occurred early in the morning close to the interchange of the 170 and 134 freeways. A box truck, a Kia sedan, and a Kia SUV were all involved in the collision that occurred close to the exit for Tujunga Avenue.
According to a press release issued by the California Highway Patrol, the black Kia SUV was stopped in the lanes when the individuals exited the car. According to the California Highway Patrol, the box truck was involved in a collision with the Kia and the two people who were inside the SUV.
At the scene, the victims, a man and a woman, both passed away. The reason for the Kia’s cessation of motion on the highway was not immediately apparent.
The deputy was identified as Marcos Pena Jr., who is 31 years old, according to a statement released by the sheriff’s department later on Tuesday. Inmates at the Men’s Central Jail were assigned to him.
“The tragic and untimely loss of Deputy Pena Jr., who was taken from us far too soon,” said Sheriff Robert G. Luna. “We are heartbroken by the sudden and untimely loss of Deputy Pena Jr.” “Our thoughts and prayers are with his family, friends, and all those who had the honor of serving alongside him.”
In July of 2022, Deputy Pena became a member of the Los Angeles Police Department.
There was a lack of immediate availability of information regarding the cause of the crash. We have attempted to obtain a comment from the ride-sharing company.
A Sigalert was issued to close all lanes of the westbound 101 Freeway at the Tujunga exit. This was caused by the closure of the exit. Around 7:30 in the morning, the California Highway Patrol reported that all lanes were reopened, and the Sigalert was canceled.
