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PARAMOUNT, Los Angeles County, CA, Sept. 27, 2026 — A wrong-way driver reportedly triggered a multi-vehicle crash early Saturday morning, September 26, on southbound I-710 near Rosecrans Avenue, according to the California Highway Patrol. At least one vehicle involved fled the scene, and injuries were reported among those involved.
The California Highway Patrol said a car was first reported stopped in the middle lanes of southbound I-710 with its hazard lights on and visible collision damage, before a second vehicle reportedly entered the freeway going the wrong direction. Callers described one vehicle facing oncoming traffic in the lanes, and radio logs indicate at least three vehicles were ultimately involved, including a white GMC and a gray Nissan.
Los Angeles County Fire Department personnel responded to the scene, and one caller told dispatchers they believed injuries had occurred, though the CHP had not confirmed the number or severity of any injuries as of publication. A person who stopped nearby was later determined not to have been involved in the crash itself, but reported a near miss and damage to their own vehicle from a separate vehicle that left the scene, a case investigators are treating as a possible misdemeanor hit-and-run under California law.
Crews closed multiple lanes of southbound I-710 to clear wreckage and manage traffic, with tow trucks called to the scene. All lanes had reopened and traffic was released by about 6:06 a.m., the CHP log shows.
The circumstances that led the wrong-way vehicle onto southbound I-710 remain under investigation, and no arrests had been announced as of Saturday morning.
We wish the injured a complete and speedy recovery.
Why May Wrong-Way Crashes Turn Deadly So Quickly
A wrong-way crash is different from almost any other collision on a freeway because both vehicles are moving at highway speed toward each other rather than in the same direction. In a rear-end or sideswipe crash, the closing speed between vehicles is just the difference in how fast each is going. In a head-on crash, the two speeds add together, so a car doing 65 mph that hits another car doing 65 mph the other way produces a collision equivalent to hitting a wall at roughly 130 mph.
Wrong-way entries onto freeways tend to happen at night or in the early morning hours, at off-ramps or interchanges where a driver misreads signage or turns the wrong direction while disoriented. Fatigue, unfamiliarity with an interchange, and impairment all raise the odds that a driver will miss the wrong-way signs and enter traffic facing the wrong direction.
According to the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, alcohol-impaired drivers had a higher risk of fatal wrong-way crashes on divided highways in 2014 through 2023. That risk factor, combined with the added speed of a head-on impact, is why these crashes are far more likely to result in serious injury than a typical freeway collision.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does alcohol play a role in wrong-way crashes?
Impairment is a common factor in wrong-way crash cases nationally, though investigators must confirm it through toxicology and witness accounts before it is officially cited as a cause in any specific incident.
Are wrong-way crashes more common on certain roads?
They tend to cluster on divided highways and freeways with off-ramps close to on-ramps, especially where signage is limited or an interchange design is unusual, and they occur more often overnight when traffic is lighter and visibility is lower.
What causes wrong-way crashes?
Common contributing factors include driver impairment, fatigue, confusion at interchanges, and, less often, deliberate wrong-way entry. Investigators typically review skid marks, vehicle damage, and witness statements to reconstruct how a driver ended up traveling against traffic.
Why are wrong-way crashes so often fatal or severe?
Because both vehicles are usually moving toward each other at highway speed, the combined impact speed is far higher than in same-direction crashes, which increases the force absorbed by both vehicles and their occupants.
What to Do After a Wrong-Way Crash in Paramount, CA
If you're involved in or witness a wrong-way crash, call 911 immediately and try to give dispatchers a clear location and lane description, since freeway crashes can be hard to pinpoint at night. Stay in your vehicle with your hazard lights on if it's unsafe to exit, and move to the shoulder only if you can do so without stepping into moving traffic.
Even if you feel fine afterward, seek a medical evaluation. Adrenaline can mask injuries like whiplash or internal bruising for hours. Get the responding agency's report number and keep any photos or dashcam footage, since wrong-way and hit-and-run cases often depend on physical evidence to identify vehicles that leave the scene.
