3 dead after BMW hits Studio City pizzeria, bursts into flames

A BMW sedan struck a tree and crashed into a Studio City pizzeria after the driver lost control early Sunday, killing three people including the driver and sparking a fire, authorities said.

The car severed a gas line and was engulfed in flames shortly after it hit Reno's Pizzeria on Ventura Boulevard. About 50 Los Angeles firefighters responded to the blaze about 3:30 a.m. and fully extinguished the fire in about 20 minutes, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department.

The driver and the two passengers, whose names were withheld pending notification of family, were declared dead at the scene, authorities said. No other injuries were reported.

Friends of the driver told KTLA that the three were driving from a 21st birthday party at a local restaurant and that drinking was involved.

Authorities said they do not know what caused the crash and are investigating all possibilities including the influence of alcohol.

"When the car immolates like that, identification and stuff like that are iffy," said Sgt. Kurt Smith of the Valley Traffic Division of the Los Angeles Police Department.

Identification cards recovered from the scene indicate that two of the people in the car were male, Smith said. A third identification card has not been found.

Sad - the driver celebrate 21st Birthday in Romanoff restaurant. ANd frends see him drunk, but noone stop him.

What a dumbass. People need to learn to leave the car home if they're going to be drinking.

Tragic that he had to take out two other people with him, though. Why do these pricks always have to harm others too.

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Thats sad. I hear, read about, and see too many of these happening in LA along the street side cafe's.

Now having kids, I dont sit streetside anymore.

Tragic regardless.

The arrogance of youth. Bulletproof, I can handle anything, etc. I remember when I was 20, I used a friends ID and did a lot of tavern hopping with him - we were both good at pool and got a kick out of beating slick look older guys with their expensive cues and us with the tavern beaters. I had my first vehicle, a '59 Int. Travelall panel (?!), and I recall barely stopping in time for numerous stop lights. A miracle I made it through some of that stuff. But you'd think with the much greater degree of publicity about these things now that friends would have stopped the guy.

Originally Posted by MB330

Sad - the driver celebrate 21st Birthday in Romanoff restaurant. ANd frends see him drunk, but noone stop him.

'What would you do?' Ever watched that TV show? people do nothing until it's too late..

Originally Posted by E36 Phantom

What a dumbass. People need to learn to leave the car home if they're going to be drinking.

Tragic that he had to take out two other people with him, though. Why do these pricks always have to harm others too.

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In this case all were pricks though! Why jump into a car driven by a young drunk punk?

Maybe I'm an old pooper but I have a problem with youngsters (21 is young, oh yeah) driving overly fast cars. Putting your foot in a fast car is a major ego rush and young people often don't have the sense and maturity to deal with it, such as with the infamous case of the young woman and her daddy's hot Porsche.

More detail from Russian web site translated with Google:

The car, which drove Russian boy and a girl, and their American friend, at high speed crashed into a pizza and caught fire.

Two students from Russia who came to study in the United States, died in a major car accident in Los Angeles.

According to Life News, a tragedy occurred in the evening, when the company of three friends celebrated the birthday of 21-year-old Paul Volodkovicha. Well-oiled young man invited to ride through the city 22-year-old Russian woman Ekaterina Botvinievu and U.S. citizen Jason Shmelnika.

- The driver of the BMW lost control and crashed at full speed into a pizza parlor. The accident started a fire, which burned alive, all three passengers, - the Head of Fire Safety in Los Angeles by Daniel McCarthy.


Catherine Botvinieva

According to police, the car touched the gas pipeline, located in the restaurant. That is what prompted the rapid fire. In a matter of seconds pizzeria was enveloped in flames, and the people are in the car were not able to get out.

As told Life News friends died, Catherine Botvinieva came to America about a year ago. Girl successfully completed Aeronautical University in Ufa and agreed to continue their education in one of the schools of New York.

On summer holidays Kate decided to go to Los Angeles to see his friend Paul Volodkovichem. The guy moved to the U.S. a few years ago from the suburbs.