A woman died and at least five other people were hospitalized after a violent two-vehicle crash shut down Ventura Boulevard in Encino on Saturday, September 12, 2026. The collision occurred just after 11:15 a.m. at the intersection of Ventura Boulevard and Densmore Avenue in the San Fernando Valley. Video from the scene showed a white Lexus and a blue Tesla with severe damage and deployed airbags, and the impact reportedly knocked over a large Banc of California sign in front of a nearby building. Los Angeles Fire Department crews treated and transported multiple patients to area hospitals, and Ventura Boulevard remained closed in both directions, east and west of Densmore Avenue, while police investigated.
According to ABC7 Los Angeles, one of the vehicle occupants became trapped beneath the fallen sign and was freed after several bystanders lifted it off of them, while rescuers had to remove the Lexus’s roof to extract another occupant whose leg was pinned. The Los Angeles Police Department told ABC7 it was actively investigating the circumstances of the crash and had not yet determined whether speed, a traffic-signal violation or another factor contributed. The Los Angeles Fire Department confirmed to MyNewsLA that six patients in total were assessed, treated and transported to local hospitals. No cause has been officially confirmed, and authorities have not released the names of those involved.
