force 39 in van nuys, california, see more than their share of danger each tour of duty. >> we average 10, 15 calls per shift, and you never know what you will go on. >> one big reason is the 405, a ten-lane stretch of highway havoc just two miles from their station house. >> at night, we have a heightened alert because of the visibility. >> the 405 has earned a bad rep as the most congested freeway in america. august 6, 2001, just after 2:00 a.m. freelance cameraman, paul anderick, is hunting for news. >> i do all of my work at night. >> he spots a broken down van in the carpool lane on the 405, and he knows from experience that even with the lights on, the van is an accident waiting to happen. >> when i got up a little closer beside the mustang that hit the van, i could see there was a man