A 14-year-old girl died and two other girls were injured in a fiery single-car crash in Encino early Feb. 20 when the allegedly stolen car hit a signal pole as the driver tried to evade police, authorities said.
The crash was reported about 12:15 a.m. at Ventura and Balboa avenues, said the Los Angeles Police Department.
Officers tried to pull the car over for having its headlights off on southbound Balboa, but the driver kept going, police said. Officers did not pursue.
The teen driver then tried to turn left onto Ventura Boulevard but crashed into a signal pole. The car then burst into flames.
Officers rescued the driver and a front-seat passenger, and they were taken to a hospital, police said. There was no more information about their condition.
The third girl, who was in the back seat, was pronounced dead at the scene, authorities reported.
The girls’ identities were not released.
“This is an absolute tragedy. There are some families that will suffer as a result of this,” LAPD Captain Jeff Hollis told Fox11.
The station said the individual who reported the vehicle stolen was related to one of the girls.
City News Service contributed to this report.
