Brethya Parada Obituary, Death; Driver runs red light, fatally strikes woman in Van Nuys.
Brethya Parada Obituary, Death – Los Angeles County authorities have identified the woman who was killed in a violent collision early Wednesday morning in Van Nuys. The county medical examiner’s office confirmed the victim as 24-year-old Brethya Parada. According to officials, Parada was driving home from work when her vehicle was struck in a crash caused by another driver running a red light.
The collision happened around 1:45 a.m. at the busy intersection of Van Nuys and Burbank boulevards. Police reported that a Honda Civic traveling east on Burbank Boulevard failed to stop at a red light and slammed into the driver’s side of a Mercedes-Benz C300 that was moving north on Van Nuys Boulevard. Parada, who was behind the wheel of the Mercedes, absorbed the full force of the impact.
Emergency responders from the Los Angeles Police Department and Los Angeles Fire Department arrived at the scene within minutes. Tragically, Parada was pronounced dead at the site of the crash. Her family later told reporters that she had been returning home from work when the fatal collision occurred, adding to the heartbreak of the sudden loss.
The driver of the Honda Civic, described as a man in his 40s, sustained life-threatening injuries and was rushed to a nearby hospital in critical condition. Two other passengers in the Civic, both 25 years old, were also injured. One suffered serious injuries while the other sustained only minor injuries, but both were transported to the hospital for treatment.
The crash left the intersection heavily damaged, with debris scattered across the roadway. Authorities closed off the area for several hours while investigators documented the scene, gathered evidence, and worked to reconstruct the events leading up to the collision.
As police and firefighters carried out their emergency response, a separate incident unfolded. Another motorist attempted to drive through police tape cordoning off the crash site. Officers quickly intervened and arrested the individual on suspicion of driving under the influence. Authorities did not immediately release that driver’s identity, but the arrest underscored the dangers posed by impaired driving.
The investigation into the crash is ongoing. Detectives are reviewing traffic camera footage, analyzing vehicle data, and speaking with witnesses to determine the exact sequence of events. The preliminary findings point to the Honda driver’s failure to stop at the red light as the primary cause of the accident.
The death of Brethya Parada has left her family and community in mourning. Loved ones remembered her as a hardworking young woman whose life was cut tragically short. The crash has also raised renewed concerns about reckless driving and the devastating consequences of failing to follow traffic signals.
Authorities continue to urge drivers to exercise caution, obey traffic laws, and remain vigilant on the road, especially during late-night and early-morning hours when fatigue and impaired driving incidents tend to increase.
As the investigation progresses, officials are expected to release further details regarding the condition of the injured victims and whether charges will be filed in connection with the deadly crash.