Yaroslav Ponomarenko Killed in Encino Car Accident
Four vehicles involved after driver allegedly runs red light, bringing down utility pole
Yaroslav Ponomarenko, 41, of Granada Hills, was killed in a multi-vehicle crash at Lindley Avenue and Victory Boulevard in Encino, California, on Sunday, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.
Four vehicles tangled in the wreckage. A westbound driver allegedly ran a red light and slammed into the victim's car, bringing down a utility pole and communication wires in the process.
Rescuers used hydraulic tools. Firefighters extricated Ponomarenko from the crushed vehicle, but he was pronounced dead at the scene.
The 35-year-old woman who drove the striking vehicle was taken to a local hospital. Police have not announced arrests or charges as they investigate whether impairment played a role.
The intersection was closed for several hours while crews cleared the downed wires and investigators processed the scene.
What happens next in the Encino intersection investigation?
When a driver runs a red light and causes a fatal car accident, investigators must careful reconstruct the sequence of events to determine criminal liability.
While the Los Angeles Police Department determines whether criminal charges will be filed against the driver, families of victims often face immediate questions about liability and parallel civil proceedings.
Candice Bond, managing partner at Bond Legal, said, "Red light violations at busy intersections often lead to violent side impact crashes, leaving occupants facing forces the human body was never built to withstand. Vehicles struck broadside offer far less protection than a direct frontal hit, and injuries can turn deadly within moments."
"An attorney moves fast to preserve traffic camera footage and signal timing records before evidence disappears, giving grieving families real answers," added Bond, who is also a national legal analyst for Accident News.
How do red-light crashes impact the community?
Intersection collisions frequently result in severe multi-vehicle pileups and infrastructure damage, leaving lasting impacts on local traffic safety.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), speeding and intersection violations remain leading causes of the state's roughly 3,800 annual traffic death. Independent investigations often review traffic camera footage, event data recorders, and witness statements to establish a clear timeline of the traffic signal phases leading up to the impact.
California wrongful death statute
Under Cal. Code Civ. Proc. § 377.60, surviving family members may file a wrongful death action. California applies pure comparative fault. The statute of limitations is 2 years from the date of death.
Recoverable damages may include loss of financial support, loss of companionship, funeral expenses, and the decedent's pre-death pain and suffering.
"Major decisions rarely come while processing grief, and rushing surviving relatives toward settlement rarely produces good outcomes for anyone involved. An attorney slows the pace, allows time for reflection between meetings, and avoids pressuring families into choices before readiness arrives," noted Stefano Formica, a national legal analyst for Accident News and of counsel at Bond Legal.