Man apparently jumps to death on 101 Freeway
A man died this morning after he reportedly jumped from an overpass onto the 101 Freeway in Hollywood and was then struck by oncoming vehicles, authorities said.
Witnesses described a man approximately 64 years old leaping from the Wilton Place crossing over the northbound Hollywood Freeway near Sunset Boulevard at about 8:30 a.m., said Brian Humphrey, spokesman for the Los Angeles Fire Department. The man was apparently then struck by one or more vehicles.
California Highway Patrol officials have closed the two right lanes on the northbound 101, said CHP Officer Francisco Villalobos. He could not estimate how long the freeway lanes would remain closed.
Nearly a dozen witnesses called 911 to report the man jumping, "as opposed to being pushed or being struck by a car," Humphrey said, although law enforcement is investigating what exactly occurred.
CHP and LAPD officers are jointly investigating the incident to determine "whether it was a possible suicide or an accidental fall or exactly where he came from," Villalobos said.
No one else was injured, and the man was apparently alone, Humphrey said.
susannah.rosenblatt@latimes.com
