Multiple vehicles experienced flat or blown tires on the southbound 405 Freeway in Encino during Monday morning's rush hour, causing extensive traffic congestion. The incident began around 5:30 a.m. near Mulholland Drive, according to the California Highway Patrol's traffic log. At least 10 vehicles were confirmed to have been sidelined with tire damage, forcing many drivers onto the right shoulder.
Officials suspect that metal rods or similar debris scattered across the roadway may have been responsible for the widespread tire damage. Although only one lane was temporarily shut down, the heavy volume of rush-hour traffic resulted in substantial backups throughout the area.
Footage from AIR7 captured approximately 10 cars stopped along the freeway shoulder, many appearing to have suffered tire damage. The traffic bottleneck affected southbound lanes of the 405 Freeway in Encino throughout the early morning commute.