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PACOIMA, Los Angeles County, Calif., Sept. 17, 2026 — A multi-vehicle crash blocked eastbound State Route 118 near Glenoaks Boulevard early on Thursday morning, September 17. The wreck reportedly involved as many as five vehicles and halted traffic in all eastbound lanes.
Authorities said the crash was first reported as a two-vehicle collision between a black Honda Civic and a brown Toyota Tacoma just after midnight. Additional callers described a larger pile-up involving three to five vehicles, with wreckage blocking the middle lanes and at least one vehicle stopped on the right shoulder, according to dispatch logs.
Los Angeles Fire Department crews and California Highway Patrol units responded to the scene. Dispatch records note people were seen walking in the traffic lanes after the crash, prompting concern among responding units before the roadway could be fully secured. The extent of any injuries has not been released.
All eastbound lanes were reported stopped for a portion of the response while crews worked to clear the scene. A tow truck was requested for at least one heavily damaged Honda Civic with major front-end damage. The roadway was reported clear shortly before 1:40 a.m., with one remaining vehicle escorted off to complete a U-turn maneuver.
The cause of the crash remains under investigation. Detectives have not released the number of people injured or any names.
We wish the injured a complete and speedy recovery.
A Common Misconception About Multi-Vehicle Pile-Ups
Many drivers assume that pile-ups like this one happen mainly because of bad weather or poor visibility. In reality, most multi-vehicle collisions on freeways occur in clear conditions, usually triggered by something as ordinary as a single vehicle slowing suddenly or stopping in a travel lane.
The bigger issue is what happens after the first impact. Following vehicles frequently cannot stop in time to avoid the vehicles already stalled or stopped ahead, especially at night when visibility is reduced and following distances shrink. That secondary chain of impacts, not the initial collision, is frequently what turns a two-car crash into one involving four or five vehicles.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 2,979 passenger-car occupants were killed in two-vehicle crashes involving a passenger car and a light truck in 2023. The mismatch in vehicle size and weight is a factor investigators consistently look at when a pile-up involves both cars and trucks, as this one reportedly did.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are secondary crashes common after an initial wreck?
Yes. Once one crash blocks a lane, following vehicles sometimes cannot see or stop in time, which is why multi-vehicle crashes frequently grow beyond the first two cars involved.
What makes multi-vehicle crashes hard to investigate?
Investigators have to determine the sequence of impacts among several vehicles, frequently relying on damage patterns, witness accounts, and any available camera footage to reconstruct which collision happened first.
What causes multi-vehicle pile-ups?
Common factors include sudden braking, stopped or disabled vehicles in a travel lane, reduced visibility at night, and following distances that don't allow enough time to react.
What to Do After a Multi-Vehicle Crash in Pacoima, CA
If you're involved in or witness a multi-vehicle crash, move to a safe location off the roadway if your vehicle is drivable, and turn on hazard lights to warn oncoming traffic. Avoid walking in active travel lanes, even to check on other vehicles, since additional cars may still be approaching the scene.
Seek medical evaluation even if injuries seem minor at first. Adrenaline can mask pain from a collision, and some injuries don't show symptoms right away. Cooperate with responding officers and provide an accurate account of what you saw or experienced, since multi-vehicle crashes usually require piecing together several perspectives to understand what happened.
