Malibu Man Dies in Crash; Rash of Mishaps Blamed on Wet Roads

A weekend storm dumped more than an inch of rain in parts of the San Fernando Valley, triggering a rash of traffic collisions and possibly contributing to an accident near Westlake Village that left one man dead.

A Malibu man in his late 50s was killed Sunday and his son was injured when their vehicle veered off rain-slicked Kanan Road at Troutdale Drive about 8 a.m. and crashed into a power pole, authorities said.

“They hit a power pole after loosing control of the vehicle,” said a California Highway Patrol spokesman.

The man, whom police did not identify, was traveling in a black Land Rover. He might have suffered a heart attack during the accident, perhaps as he swerved to avoid another vehicle, the CHP spokesman said.

Today is expected to be cool with cloudy skies, but more rain could be on the way beginning Wednesday, said Kevin Stenson, a meteorologist with WeatherData Inc., which provides forecast information to The Times.

“There is a storm system from the Gulf of Alaska that may move down the coastline into Southern California by early Wednesday,” Stenson said. He predicted a 40% chance of rain on Wednesday and scattered showers on Thursday.

However, there is also a chance that the storm system could veer off to the east before reaching Southern California, said Bill Hoffer, meteorological technician for the National Weather Service.

“It could be what forecasters call an inside slider,” Hoffer said. “If that’s the case, the system will bring breezy conditions and a few clouds, but right now it’s a little too early to predict what the system will do.”

One thing was clear Sunday: The weekend storm wreaked havoc on local streets.

The number of accidents citywide between 3 p.m. Saturday, when rain began falling, and noon Sunday increased threefold to 165, said Brian Humphrey, a spokesman for the Los Angeles Fire Department.

“We typically see this kind of activity when the roads get wet and it did keep us quite busy,” Humphrey said. “Some say it’s because drivers in Southern California aren’t used to driving under wet conditions while others surmise that the initial rainfall brings up oil and other debris from the asphalt, making it slicker than usual.”

Today’s forecast calls for partly cloudy skies with highs in the low to mid-60s. The warmest spot in the Valley today is expected to be Woodland Hills, which could see a high of 66, Stenson said.

Morning lows for today and through Friday should range between the mid-40s and the low 50s, Stenson said. Mostly sunny skies are forecast for Tuesday with highs in the upper 60s.

Afternoon temperatures are expected to dip into the low 60s on Wednesday and Thursday as a result of the storm system.

On Friday, a weak high-pressure system could begin to build over Southern California, bringing partly cloudy skies and afternoon highs in the mid- to upper 60s in the Valley, Stenson said.

The ultraviolet index for today at noon in the Valley is expected to be a 3, a low level of exposure, Hoffer said. Those with fair complexions should be safe from exposure for up to 20 minutes without protection.

Times staff writer Andrew Blankstein contributed to this story.