6 Injured in Fiery Crash on Golden State Freeway

Six people in four vehicles were injured Friday in an accident on the Golden State Freeway that resulted in a fire and closed some freeway lanes for about two hours, a California Highway Patrol spokesman said.

Two of the people were critically injured and taken by helicopter to Holy Cross Hospital in Mission Hills, Officer Steve Monday said. Their names were not available but a hospital spokeswoman said both were in serious but stable condition.

Monday said several people driving on the freeway stopped to help rescue victims from two burning vehicles.

The wreck occurred around noon when a northbound pickup truck towing a boat tried to pass a car in the Osborne Street on-ramp merge lane, the officer said. The truck rear-ended a car in front of it, causing the boat to unhitch, Monday said. The truck then skidded across three lanes of traffic and landed on the other side of the concrete center divider, he said.

When the truck landed in southbound traffic, a car struck it head-on and the two vehicles burst into flames, he said. Another southbound car then hit the burning vehicles.

The drivers of the pickup truck and the first southbound car were the most seriously injured, Monday said.