Man Killed in Crash; 2 Others Seriously Hurt
A Pacoima man was killed and his wife seriously injured Friday when their station wagon collided head-on with a pickup truck on Sheldon Street near Roscoe Boulevard, police said.
Eloy Martinez, 55, was driving his station wagon south on Sheldon when a white pickup driven by Matthew Murray, 28, of Palmdale, crossed the double yellow line, said Officer Gerald Madera of the Los Angeles Police Department.
Police said Murray was under the influence of marijuana and on parole for narcotics convictions. He was admitted in serious condition to Providence Holy Cross Medical Center, and Madera said police will seek murder charges against him.
The crash, which occurred shortly before noon, demolished the front end of the station wagon, fatally injuring Martinez and seriously injuring his wife, Maria, 46.
The impact pushed the station wagon partially up the curb and caused the truck to flip onto its roof.
Firefighters used the “jaws of life” to remove Eloy Martinez, who was trapped in the wreckage for about 15 minutes, Fire Department spokesman Jim Wells said.
Martinez was taken to Pacifica Hospital of the Valley, where he died of massive traumatic injuries, Madera said.
Maria Martinez was admitted to Providence Holy Cross Medical Center in serious condition, said hospital spokesman Steven Weiss.
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