West Covina, CA : Two men died and one woman injured in fiery crash on 10 Freeway in West Covina early Friday, May 27, 2016

Two men died and one woman suffered injuries in crashes involving five vehicles on the 10 Freeway in West Covina early Friday.

Three vehicles burst into flames and one driver wasn’t able to get out, officials said. Callers reported multiple explosions to the California Highway Patrol. The collisions occurred on the westbound 10 Freeway, just east of Citrus Avenue and shut down all westbound lanes for four hours.

California Highway Patrol Officer Rodrigo Jimenez said traffic started slowing down on the westbound 10 just after 1 a.m. There may have been an earlier crash but he didn’t have details on this collision.

A Toyota Tacoma in the second lane from the far left veered to the left. Jimenez said the pickup truck was probably going too fast, sideswiped a Lexus LX470 in the far left lane then rear-ended a Toyota Corolla that was stopped in front of the Tacoma.

Another crash occurred involving a Volvo truck and an Audi A8. Jimenez said they don’t know the chain of events yet that led to the collision.

The CHP isn’t sure if the Audi also rear-ended the Tacoma.

The Tacoma, the Corolla and the Audi then caught fire.

Jimenez said the man driving the Tacoma wasn’t able to get out from the burning pickup. He suffered burns and blunt force trauma injuries.

“The passenger from the Audi was removed from the car but I’m not sure by who,” Jimenez said.

The passenger, a 90-year-old Pasadena man, sustained fatal blunt force trauma, according to Jimenez.

Paramedics pronounced both men dead at the scene. The Coroner’s Office has not released their names.

The Audi’s driver, a 68-year-old woman from Pasadena, suffered burns to her left arm and shoulder. Jimenez described her injuries as moderate. Paramedics took her to Los Angeles County USC Medical Center.

Jimenez said the 31-year-old Rosemead woman driving the Corolla, the 44-year-old Inglewood man driving the Volvo truck and the 73-year-old Hollywood woman driving the Lexus weren’t injured.

Bryan Garcia said he was on his way home with his wife when the collision unfolded behind him in the westbound lanes.

“A car lost control then I saw a fireball behind me,” he said.

It appeared one vehicle struck another, then hit the center divider and burst into flames, Garcia said.

Witness Lauren Walton described a similar scenario via Twitter, but from a vantage point behind the crash.

“I watched the car drift, collide, then a huge explosion. Called 911,” she posted on the social media network.

“I watched the last few minutes of someone’s life tonight... that’s heavy. I feel for the one lady that got out,” she wrote.

The CHP shut down all westbound lanes of the 10 Freeway due to the fatal crash. The SigAlert was cancelled at 5:14 a.m.

CHP officials think the Lexus was going 60 mph and the big rig was travelling at 35 mph before the collision. They haven’t determined the speed for the Tacoma and the Audi yet.

Source :
2 dead in fiery crash on 10 Freeway in West Covina