New data shows 50 most dangerous intersections in LA

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Some of the most dangerous intersections in Los Angeles can be found near the freeways, like along the 405 in the San Fernando Valley and near the 110 in South L.A.

Crosstown LA collects data from the Los Angeles Police Department and identified the 50 intersections where the most serious crashes have most frequently happened - and some of the worst are close to the exits and ramps.

"First of all, it's just a lot more traffic and lanes, and cars turning, but there's also a lot of people coming off the freeway driving 70 miles an hour when they're entering a city street", said Gabriel Kahn, a professor at the University of Southern California and editor of Crosstown LA.

At Sepulveda and Roscoe, which was No. 2 on the list, there were 65 serious crashes between 2021 and 2024.

Drivers there weren't surprised there's been a serious wreck nearly every three weeks, and the manager of the Shell gas station on the corner said he's constantly being asked by drivers and insurance adjusters to see his security video of crashes.

"Right now, there are three or four people that have come to ask me for videos after some incident happens," said Shawn Elarab. "Some people claim it wasn't their fault, and then we look at the videos, and you see people trying to make a right turn from the second lane. But we're just here to help and hope it avoids something like this happening in the future."

Meantime, Roscoe and Van Nuys cracked the top five with 59 serious wrecks, including a disturbing 14 felony hit-and-runs.

The data was put together to not only let drivers know which intersections to avoid, but to help those who live or work in those areas and can't detour around the streets.

"The hope is by producing a list of the top 50 intersections that people in those communities who are actually quite aware of this then have the data to complain and raise a thing with the city council person in their neighborhood council or the department of transportation and demand some type of mitigation," said Kahn.

The Los Angeles Department of Transportation issued a statement, responding to the list, saying it "continues to identify and refine methods to improve safety conditions on streets."

"Since 2017, LADOT has implemented over 7,000 safety treatments from its Safety Toolkitat priority corridors and intersections, and redesigned more than 20 miles of High Injury Network streets. Data show that these treatments improved safety at locations where they were installed. The City of Los Angeles and LADOT have also worked to secure state level legislation to set safer speed limits (AB43) and to pilot speed limit enforcement using cameras (AB645).

LADOT continues to identify and refine methods to improve safety conditions on streets. Programs like the removal of peak hour lanes, speed safety system pilot, and district-wide school safety efforts are designed to reduce speeding, crashes, and fatalities. The Department's recently published comprehensive Safety Study identifies the conditions and road configurations that contribute to high levels of severe and fatal crashes as well as countermeasures that are shown to prevent crashes. The "Countermeasures Toolbox" developed through this study pairs treatment types with specific crash patterns to expand the current Safety Toolkit."