2 Men Critically Injured in Freeway Crash

Two men were critically injured Saturday and two others were unhurt when their car flipped and burned on the westbound Ventura Freeway near Griffith Park, authorities said.

The two injured men suffered third-degree burns in the 12:40 p.m. accident just west of the Forest Lawn Drive exit, said Los Angeles Fire Department spokesman Bob Collis.

The crash severed the leg of one victim below the knee, Collis said. Rescuers recovered the detached limb, and both the injured men were airlifted to Holy Cross Hospital in Mission Hills, he said.

Surgeons were unsuccessful in a two-hour attempt to reattach the severely burned leg, said Kathy Mitchell, hospital nursing supervisor. The other victim suffered head injuries and was in critical condition in intensive care, she said. Their names were not released.

The accident occurred when the driver of the car carrying the four men lost control when attempting to change lanes, a California Highway Patrol spokesman sad. The car hit the freeway guardrail, turned over, then caught fire when it slid to a stop, he said.

The accident temporarily forced the closure of the westbound side of the freeway as crews cleaned up the wreckage, the officer said.