Los Angeles, Ca
Helicopter landing shuts down traffic on 110 Freeway in South Los Angeles
Freeway lanes were shut down after a helicopter made an emergency landing in South Los Angeles Thursday night.
The helicopter touched down on the southbound lanes of the 110 Freeway, just north of the 105 Freeway interchange at around 8:30 p.m., according to the California Highway Patrol.
Three people, including the pilot, were aboard the small chopper when it made the emergency landing. They were able to exit the aircraft without injuries, authorities said.
The aircraft, a 2011 Robinson R44 II, took off from the Hawthorne Airport at 7:35 p.m.
The pilot, Bruce Kafil, told KTLA’s Carlos Saucedo he was taking a couple on an aerial tour of the city when they suddenly experienced power loss.
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A helicopter landed on the 110 Freeway in South Los Angeles, shutting down lanes and blocking traffic on September 5, 2024. (KTLA) -
Crews worked to remove the damaged helicopter that made an emergency landing on the 110 Freeway in South Los Angeles on September 5, 2024. (KTLA) -
Traffic on the 110 Freeway was backed up for miles after an emergency helicopter landing in South Los Angeles on September 5, 2024. (KTLA) -
The helicopter was lifted onto the flatbed of a tow truck after an emergency landing on the 110 Freeway in South Los Angeles on September 5, 2024. (KTLA) -
A helicopter landed on the 110 Freeway in South Los Angeles, shutting down lanes and blocking traffic on September 5, 2024. (KTLA)
“I instructed my passengers to get out right away because I feared a possible collision from oncoming traffic,” Kafil recalled. “I had [the couple] go as far south as we reasonably could but the main rotor blade was still spinning and it made contact with a bus.”
A SigAlert that shut down all southbound lanes of the 110 Freeway was later lifted.
Multiple agencies responded to the scene and worked to remove the downed helicopter. At least one of the helicopter’s blades appeared damaged.
Crews were seen lifting the chopper with a crane and placing it onto the flatbed of a tow truck.
“There were motorists on the road at the time of the incident,” said CHP officer Bobby Eurin. “Officers did respond swiftly to stop traffic to avoid a major injury collision. It’s not every day that you see a helicopter land on the freeway.”
“We landed safely,” Kafil said with relief. “Everybody walked away. I’m very happy to be alive and to have my passengers as well.”
No injuries were reported from the incident. Traffic was backed up for miles as authorities worked to clear the scene.
Authorities discovered millions of dollars worth of counterfeit luxury goods in a downtown Los Angeles bust.
On May 14, detectives from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department executed a search warrant at two locations — a retail store in the 500 Block of South Los Angeles Street and a commercial warehouse in the 500 Block of Main Street.
Inside the warehouse, deputies found a significant amount of counterfeit luxury merchandise. In total, the retail value of the goods was estimated between $5 million and $10 million.
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Authorities discovered a warehouse filled with counterfeit luxury goods worth an estimated $5-$10 million in a downtown Los Angeles bust operation on May 14, 2026. (Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department)
Two unidentified suspects, a man and a woman, were taken into custody.
“This remains an active investigation,” LASD said. “Additional arrests or charges are possible as the case progresses.”
Anyone with information on the case is asked to call LASD’s Major Crimes Bureau’s Tip Line at 562-946-7893.
Anonymous tips can be provided to L.A. Regional Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or online at lacrimestoppers.org.
At least one person was critically injured in a house fire that erupted in Montebello early Thursday morning.
Crews responded to the blaze engulfing a detached unit in the 100 block of South 5th Street near West Whittier Boulevard around 5 a.m.
Flames quickly spread to a nearby electrical pole, blowing a fuse and knocking out power in the area. Sparks could be seen as a loud pop was heard in a Citizen.com video later obtained by KTLA.
At least one person was believed to be in critical condition due to burn injuries, though officials have not released further details.
There was no immediate word on a possible cause of the fire.
A neighbor told KTLA that three people lived inside the home, including a child.
This is a developing story.
Authorities revealed new details Wednesday afternoon about the violent Santa Clarita crash involving a city transit bus, an overturned semi truck and two other vehicles that left 13 people injured.
According to the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station, the driver of a semi truck hauling a full load of gravel may have been traveling as fast as 70 mph when the vehicle approached a yellow light at the intersection of Golden Valley Road and Centre Pointe Parkway around 9:30 a.m.
Investigators said the driver then attempted to make a right turn to avoid running the red light before crashing into the bus and two passenger vehicles.
“[The driver] tried to make a right-hand turn to avoid running the red light and then crashed into the bus and the other two passenger vehicles,” Capt. Brandon Barclay of the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station told KTLA.
Officials noted that the speed limit on Golden Valley Road is 50 mph.
Sky5 aerial footage showed the heavily damaged Santa Clarita Transit bus pushed onto a curb while the semi truck overturned nearby, and another vehicle appeared pinned beneath the front right side of the bus.
“When you look at it, it looks like a scene from Universal CityWalk,” Barclay said.
Authorities said 13 people were injured in the crash.
One passenger seated in the back of the bus had to be freed using the Jaws of Life and remained hospitalized in critical condition Wednesday afternoon, KTLA’s Angeli Kakade reported.
Seven additional people were transported to hospitals while five others declined medical treatment at the scene.
“You have a bus that was hit by a semi truck, so it’s very impactful for this community,” Barclay added.
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Sky5 was over a multi-vehicle crash involving a city bus in Santa Clarita, Calif. on Wednesday, May 13, 2026. (KTLA) -
Sky5 was over a multi-vehicle crash involving a city bus in Santa Clarita, Calif. on Wednesday, May 13, 2026. (KTLA) -
Sky5 was over a multi-vehicle crash involving a city bus in Santa Clarita, Calif. on Wednesday, May 13, 2026. (KTLA) -
Sky5 was over a multi-vehicle crash involving a city bus in Santa Clarita, Calif. on Wednesday, May 13, 2026. (KTLA) -
Sky5 was over a multi-vehicle crash involving a city bus in Santa Clarita, Calif. on Wednesday, May 13, 2026. (KTLA) -
Sky5 was over a multi-vehicle crash involving a city bus in Santa Clarita, Calif. on Wednesday, May 13, 2026. (KTLA)
Former Santa Clarita transit bus driver Darryl Richardson said he was stunned when he saw the aftermath of the crash.
“I know how a person feels to see a big old truck coming right at you,” Richardson told KTLA. “Thank God if it had broadsided the driver, we’d be talking about a different conversation right now.”
The City of Santa Clarita said road closures around the crash scene were expected to continue for several hours as deputies investigated what led up to the collision.
All directions of Centre Pointe Parkway between Golden Valley Road and Ruether Avenue remained closed Wednesday afternoon. Eastbound Golden Valley Road was also shut down from Robert C. Lee Parkway to Centre Pointe Parkway.
Drivers were urged to avoid the area and use alternate routes.
The crash remains under investigation.
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