A motorcyclist was killed in a multiple-vehicle collision on the southbound San Diego (405) Freeway in the Sepulveda Pass on Tuesday night.
The victim was identified as a 39-year-old Van Nuys man, Paul Goldhammer.
The fatal collision prompted a closure of the southbound portion of the freeway at Valley Vista Boulevard, according to the California Highway Patrol.
A chain of collisions involving five cars on the northbound portion of the freeway began around 8:50 p.m. and forced a closure between Sunset Boulevard and Mulholland Drive, according to the CHP.
A SigAlert remained in effect as midnight approached.
Emergency vehicles had difficulty reaching the scene because drivers used the right shoulder to try to make their way around the blockage, according to the CHP
Drivers also went the wrong-way on the Skirball Center Drive on-ramp to exit the freeway, according to the CHP.