3 killed as SUV slams into big rig on 210 Freeway
Three people, including a 14-year-old boy, were killed Sunday morning when their sport utility vehicle rear-ended a big rig on the 210 Freeway in Sunland and became engulfed in flames, authorities said.
The SUV was traveling west about 5 a.m. when it crashed into a lettuce-carrying big rig, which had been parked on the side of the freeway, according to California Highway Patrol and Los Angeles Fire Department officials.
“It’s unknown what lane they were traveling in or what speed they were traveling at,” said CHP Officer Jennifer Connolly. “There were no skid marks.”
In addition to the teenage boy, a 41-year-old man and a 40-year-old woman also were killed in the incident.
A 9-year-old girl and an 11-year-old boy got out of the burning vehicle, possibly with the help of passersby, but the three others who died were unable to escape, Connolly said.
The children were taken to Childrens Hospital Los Angeles in fair condition.
The male driver of the big rig complained of chest discomfort and was taken to Providence Holy Cross Medical Center in Mission Hills, said Brian Humphrey, a spokesman for the Los Angeles Fire Department.
Flames from the crash ignited a small brush fire that took 61 firefighters 29 minutes to knock down, Humphrey said.
Three lanes of the westbound 210 Freeway were closed for nearly four hours.
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