West Hills, CA – On January 3, 2024, at 9:04 p.m., a speeding vehicle in West Hills careened into a fire hydrant, a wall, and power lines at the intersection of Saticoy Street and Royer Avenue, unleashing a 200-to-300-foot geyser of water that flooded the neighborhood for over two and a half hours. The Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) responded but was unable to shut off the hydrant due to the risk of electrocution from downed power lines, requiring intervention from the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (DWP). Two Persian suspects, one male and one female, fled the scene on foot, leaving behind a wrecked vehicle.
LAFD units from Fire Station 105 arrived at Saticoy and Royer to find a single vehicle, a dark-colored sedan, that had crashed into a brick wall, shearing a fire hydrant and knocking down a power line and a street sign, according to an LAFD. A witness reported that the vehicle was traveling over 100 miles per hour when it attempted a turn, lost control, and struck the infrastructure. The hydrant’s rupture sent water shooting 200 to 300 feet into the air, flooding streets, yards, and nearby homes with thousands of gallons.
Firefighters, unable to approach the hydrant due to live power lines posing an electrocution risk, secured the area and awaited DWP, which arrived around 10:00 p.m. and shut off the water by 11:45 p.m., over two and a half hours later, per CBS Los Angeles. The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) Topanga Division is investigating the hit-and-run, with two suspects—a male and a female, both described as Persian—seen fleeing on foot. No arrests have been made, and LAPD is reviewing surveillance footage from nearby homes. Tips can be reported to LAPD Topanga at (818) 756-4800 or Crime Stoppers at (800) 222-8477. The vehicle was towed, and Saticoy Street reopened by midnight.
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