Driver killed after Mercedes plows into Hancock Park home

LOS ANGELES - A driver was killed when a vehicle slammed into a Hancock Park home and burst into flames late Thursday night, officials said. Authorities were investigating whether street racing was a factor.

Just moments before the crash, a little girl who lives inside the home walked out of her bedroom, which is a move that essentially saved her life.

The Los Angeles Police Department said around 11:30 p.m., the driver of a Mercedes was traveling at a high rate of speed going eastbound on Third Street before the crash. The Mercedes hit a tree, went airborne, and crashed through the garage and into the one-story home located in the 200 block of South Rimpau Boulevard.

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Witnesses said they saw four vehicles speeding and were possibly street racing before the deadly collision.

A person driving an Orange BMW stayed at the scene while the other two vehicles took off.

A witness who saw the entire violent incident unfold said he and his friends attempted to rescue the driver.

"We parked right away to try to help the guy because we saw it was pretty bad. About 30 seconds later, the car just lit up on fire and a lot of us tried to save him and tried to get him out, but the fire kept growing fast," a witness identified only as Andres said.

The Los Angeles Fire Department knocked down the flames in about 30 minutes. However, the man behind the wheel was pronounced dead at the scene, authorities said.

The owners of the home said they were afraid something like this would happen and that street racing been a constant problem in the area.

No one inside the home was injured.