Man, said to be tagging overpass, injured on 5 Freeway in East Los Angeles

Witnesses say he fell onto the interstate near the Main Street off-ramp with a can of spray paint in his hands.

A man apparently spray painting graffiti on an overpass fell Saturday night onto the 5 Freeway in East Los Angeles, authorities said.

Several motorists told authorities that the man had possibly broken his back at about 9:45 p.m. and had a can of spray paint clutched in his hands as he lay on the freeway near the Main Street off-ramp, said California Highway Patrol spokesman David Porter.

Porter said the man was taken to a nearby hospital where he was being treated.

The accident comes about three weeks after prolific tagger Cyrus Yazdani -- who goes by the moniker "Buket" -- was arrested for causing hundreds of thousands of dollars in property damage.

Yazdani is perhaps most recognized for a YouTube video that shows him climbing and spray painting behind the Hollywood Freeway sign near Melrose Avenue as traffic speeds below.

ari.bloomekatz@latimes.com


 
 
California | Local