Jake Huard Obituary, Death – A 24-year-old man lost his life after exiting the passenger seat of a vehicle on the eastbound Ventura (134) Freeway in Glendale, where he was subsequently struck by a speeding car, as reported by authorities on Saturday. The incident was initially reported at 11:41 p.m. on Friday as a stalled vehicle located in a middle lane west of Pacific Avenue. However, responding officers discovered that it had escalated into a two-vehicle collision with potentially serious injuries, according to Officer V. Franco, who is involved in the investigation.
“The silver Mitsubishi was stationary in the No. 2 lane for reasons yet to be determined, and the right front passenger exited the vehicle,” stated Franco. A black Mazda was also travelling eastbound in the No. 2 lane “at speeds exceeding 65 mph in light traffic conditions,” and collided with the rear of the Mitsubishi, according to the officer. “Immediately following the impact, the front of the black Mazda struck the individual from Los Angeles who was standing outside the vehicle.”
The passenger was pronounced dead at the scene and later identified by the Medical Examiner’s office as Jake Huard. The 19-year-old woman from Pasadena driving the 2015 Mitsubishi, who was not wearing a seatbelt, sustained major injuries, while the 22-year-old man from El Monte driving the 2021 Mazda suffered minor injuries, as reported by Franco.
The California Highway Patrol closed all eastbound lanes of the freeway around midnight on Saturday to conduct their investigation, reopening them at 7:15 a.m.
