2 KILLED, 2 INJURED CAR GOES OVER SIDE OF FREEWAY.

Byline: Orith Goldberg Staff Writer

PACOIMA - Two people died and two others - including an apparent teen-age runaway - suffered serious injuries Monday when their car veered out of control and plunged over the side of a freeway, authorities said.

The horrific crash left a trail of blood and broken glass across Laurel Canyon Boulevard, where the overturned vehicle slid across several lanes before plowing into another car, said California Highway Patrol investigator Vincent Bell.

``It's terrible to see these things,'' Bell said. ``Unfortunately, we see these a lot. No matter how many people are involved or what the situation, it's always a terrible thing.''

The crash took the lives of a 51-year-old Pacoima man who was driving the 1988 Honda Civic and a man in his early 20s, who was sitting in the front passenger seat, Bell said.

The two men apparently died when the car overturned and landed on its roof. Their identities were not yet available, pending notification of their families.

One of the survivors was a 15-year-old boy who may have run away from his Pacoima home and was staying with the people who were in the car, according to authorities. The second survivor was a woman, who appeared to be between 30 and 40 years old.

Neither of their identities was immediately available.

The teen was listed in serious condition in the intensive care unit at Providence Holy Cross Medical Center in Mission Hills on Monday afternoon, suffering trauma to his head and chest, said hospital spokeswoman Tiffany DeVall.

The woman was listed in good condition at Northridge Hospital Medical Center with a broken leg and injuries to her head, said hospital spokeswoman Kate Preston.

Family members of the teen said he was drifting in and out of consciousness and could not remember the crash. As they gathered outside his room, they were still trying to make sense of the incident.

``We don't know what to think,'' said Jerral MacDaniel, the teen's uncle from Los Angeles. ``We're just playing it by ear. We're hoping he becomes conscious enough to be able to tell us.''

MacDaniel said his nephew is the oldest of three children and has two younger sisters. He also said he was unaware of reports that his nephew had run away from home.

The crash occurred about 4:50 a.m. Monday, when the 1988 Honda Civic, northbound on the Golden State Freeway, went onto the eastbound Ronald Reagan Freeway.

That's when the driver lost control of the car, which hit a wall on the left side of the freeway and plunged over the side, with the vehicle falling onto its roof on Laurel Canyon Boulevard below, CHP Officer Richard Richards said.

The car continued to slide on its roof across Laurel Canyon, where it hit a 1995 Honda Civic traveling northbound on Laurel Canyon and ultimately came to rest on the northbound outer lane.

The two occupants of the second Civic on Laurel Canyon - a driver from San Fernando and a passenger from Arleta - were not injured and the car had only minor damage, Richards said.

Investigators were not yet certain why the car veered out of control.

Anyone who witnessed the crash or who has information about it is asked to contact CHP investigators at [phone] or (800) TellCHP.

CAPTION(S):

2 photos, map

Photo:

(1 -- 2 -- color) Firefighters use a crane to lift an overturned auto so they can remove the bodies of the dead driver and passenger.

Gene Blevins/Special to the Daily News

Map:

Fatal Crash