Traffic Accident Traps Woman in Overturned Car, Damages Crosswalk Sign
The incident occurred Monday morning at the intersection of Ventura and Petit.
Photos
UPDATE: 6:30 p.m. The woman in the overturned vehicle, Wendy Waagenaar, contacted Patch and is okay. See her comment below, and her photos to the right!
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The LAPD responded to a traffic accident at 9:40 a.m. Monday morning at the 4800 block of Petit Avenue at the Ventura intersection, according to authorities.
Richard Friend, a spokesperson for the LAPD, said that "a couple of vehicles were involved" in the incident, including one that overturned.
"There was some kind of impact with a traffic signal," Friend told Patch Monday morning. "At one point there was a person that was trapped inside the overturned vehicle. It was a woman. They did call in a tow truck and they've probably taken the overturned vehicle, an Explorer, away by now."
The condition of the woman is not known, said Friend.
Click on the photos to the right to see the scene of the accident. A broken crosswalk sign and pole was down at the northeast corner, and what appeared to be broken tail-lights littered the road.
A representative from the Dept. of Transportation at the scene told Patch he was waiting to restore the traffic pole.
Wendy Waagenaar
6:17 pm on Monday, February 13, 2012
I was the woman in the overturned car. I posted pics of the result.
Anna King
6:46 pm on Monday, February 13, 2012
Wendy, one of my readers was just asking me what happened to you! I'm so relieved that you're okay, and well enough to get in touch, and thank you so much for posting the photos. I'd love to talk to you about your experience, if you have a moment. Do send me an email at anna.king@patch.com.
Lynn McMullen
10:57 am on Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Wendy, I was the woman in the wht mercedes just one car behind you in the intersection when the accident happened. I just want to let you know I said the fastest prayer for your safety as I saw it happening! I stayed to give my report to the police and also have a pic of your car overturned on the sidewalk, which I can forward to you. I sent love and light to you all day.. so grateful and relieved to hear you're okay!
Jodie Francisco
9:40 pm on Monday, February 13, 2012
Wendy, I'm the one that contacted Anna, and I'm so glad to know you were ok...I drove by around 10am and I was really freaked out by what I saw! Thank god for air bags!!!
Anna King
12:41 pm on Wednesday, February 15, 2012
The message below is from Wendy, who is currently experiencing technical difficulties with Patch!
Lynn, thank you for your prayers, they must have worked. I would love to see the pictures you took if you could send them to me and/or post them here please.
Jodie, the airbags did not go off. I am lucky to be alive. The police said that if I had a passenger, that they would have been dead. Here is a link to more detailed pics of the aftermath... http://www.flickr.com/photos/25190638@N05/sets/72157629324651239/
Anna King
1:37 pm on Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Lynn, I'll second Wendy's request to see the photo you took of her car. You can upload it easily above, or email to me at anna.king@patch.com. Many thanks!
Wendy Waagenaar
5:36 pm on Wednesday, February 15, 2012
I have a torn AC joint in my left shoulder from the seat belt. Very painful!
They said I'm lucky to be alive. A guy ran a very red light, hit my right side rear, I hit the curb, the whole car flipped, I knocked over a light pole, all the windows were blown out, my airbags didn't go off. This is at the Northeast corner of Ventura and Petit in Encino.
I got myself out of the car from hanging upside down still buckled. I even had the presence of mind to turn the engine off and put it in park. Not like that mattered cause it was upside-down... The guy stopped, he has insurance, there were tons of witnesses, there were already doctors who worked in the building that came and checked me before the paramedics even got there. The paramedics then put me in a neck brace and on a board and took me in the ambulance to Kaiser. And luckily enough my dad was actually already at Kaiser for an appointment, so he just came over to Emergency.