A California driver ejected from his vehicle landed on a freeway sign and died Friday morning.

Richard Pananian, 20, of Burbank, California, was killed in the acciden,t which occurred around 7 a.m., according to KTLA.

Pananian was seen driving his Ford Fiesta at a high rate of speed before hitting the rear of a pickup truck and overturning multiple times, according to KTLA. Pananian was thrown about 20 feet into the air, landing on an exit ramp sign overhead, according to KTLA.

>> Read more trending stories

Pananian was not believed to be wearing his seatbelt, according to KTLA.

"Any time you speed and you don't wear your seat belt, there's a good chance you're going to get hurt, if not killed," Edgar Figueroa, a California Highway Patrol officer on the scene, said to KTLA.

A white sheet was draped over Pananian's body on the sign's catwalk for several hours until coroners could arrive, according to KTLA.


About the Author

Featured

Julian Conley listens during opening statements in his trial at Fulton County Superior Court in Atlanta on Wednesday, Sept. 17, 2025. The 25-year-old is accused of fatally shooting 8-year-old Secoriea Turner in July 2020. (Abbey Cutrer/AJC)

Credit: abbey.cutrer@ajc.com