# Mangled Car Wreck Kills Driver on California Freeway

> A mangled Kia Optima crashes into freeway pillars near Boyle Heights, killing one driver and causing hours of traffic chaos.
- Title: Mangled Car Wreck Kills Driver on California Freeway
- Summary: A mangled Kia Optima crashes into freeway pillars near Boyle Heights, killing one driver and causing hours of traffic chaos. A driver died after a Kia Optima…
- Keywords: kia optima, boyle heights, california highway police, sigalert, traffic backup, los angeles fire department, news, entertainment, Mangled, Car, Wreck, Kills
- Source: California Post — https://nypost.com/2026/09/17/us-news/mangled-car-wreck-kills-driver-on-major-california-freeway-sparking-rush-hour-hell
- Published: 2026-09-17T14:29:37+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: kia optima, boyle heights, california highway police, sigalert, traffic backup, los angeles fire department, news, entertainment
## Crash Details
A Kia Optima careened off the northbound 5 Freeway near Boyle Heights early Thursday morning, killing one person and complicating morning traffic.
## Suspected DUI Driver
One concerned caller phoned the car in as a suspected DUI driver around 2:15 a.m. before the vehicle drove off the freeway and into an embankment.
## SigAlert Issued
The crash caused officials to issue a SigAlert as traffic remains backed up in the Boyle Heights area. The alert was still in effect as of 6:20 a.m., spanning at least four hours.
## Firefighters Work
Video footage showed firefighters from the Los Angeles Fire Department prying the car away from the overpass. The car’s right side was severely crushed from the impact.
## Road Closure
The California Highway Police issued a hard closure of the northbound 5 Freeway to the eastbound 10 Freeway for a time. CHP officers began picking up the road closure at 6:43 a.m.
## Key takeaway

A driver died after a Kia Optima crashed into freeway pillars near Boyle Heights, triggering a four-hour traffic backup.