Authorities in Southern California have announced the arrest of Samantha Molina, a 23-year-old woman, following a tragic wrong-way crash on the 110 Freeway in South Los Angeles. The incident, which occurred in the early hours of Friday morning, claimed the life of a taxi driver and left two others injured.
Multiple 911 calls alerted officials to a woman driving a dark-colored Chevrolet Cruze in the southbound lanes of the northbound freeway. Shortly after the reports, the compact car collided head-on with a Toyota Prius taxi cab near the Exposition Boulevard exit.
First responders were confronted with a harrowing scene as they arrived at the crash site. Using the Jaws of Life, they worked diligently to extract the three victims, including the suspect, from the wreckage. Tragically, the taxi driver, identified as 71-year-old Ken Balayev from Calabasas, was pronounced dead at the scene.
Richard Wold, a 48-year-old passenger in the taxi from Los Angeles, was transported to the hospital with serious injuries. The suspect, Samantha Molina, and her passenger, 21-year-old Francisco Gil from Los Angeles, were also hospitalized with serious injuries.
The investigation into the incident remains ongoing, and authorities are urging anyone with information to contact the California Highway Patrol’s Central Los Angeles Area office. They can be reached at 231-744-2337 or 323-259-3200.
This tragic event serves as a reminder of the dangers of wrong-way driving, and law enforcement officials continue their efforts to improve safety on Southern California’s roadways.
