Los Angeles Fire Department spokesman Brian Humphrey said the crash on Balboa Boulevard just north of Victory Boulevard happened at 7:52 a.m. Two teenage boys and two young men were taken to hospitals in critical condition.

Los Angeles police said the car was heading southbound on Balboa when it drifted into the other lane, hit a curb, then struck a tree. Detectives from the Valley Traffic Division were still investigating the cause this afternoon, but said alcohol was not thought to be a factor.