Passenger Killed in Crash; Driver Held

A motorist was arrested Thursday after his car spun out of control and crashed, killing a passenger and injuring four others, police said.

Armen Aharonian, 27, of Glendale was booked on suspicion of murder and felony drunk driving, and was being held on $500,000 bail.

Glendale police said Aharonian was driving negligently as he ran a stop sign and traffic signal before the crash.

The passenger in Aharonian’s car killed in the crash was not identified, but is said to have been in his 20s. The Los Angeles County coroner’s office declined to release his name until his family was notified.

Aharonian was speeding along Alameda Avenue in his Mercedes-Benz about 12:40 a.m. when he failed to stop for a red light at Glenoaks Boulevard near the Glendale-Burbank border, Glendale Police Lt. Don Meredith said.

Aharonian’s car was struck by a Toyota that had been traveling north on Glenoaks, Meredith said. Aharonian lost control of his car and slammed into a large sign post. Two of his passengers suffered moderate injuries. The driver of the Toyota and his passenger sustained minor injuries.