3 Killed in Traffic as Storm Hits Area

Three people were killed late Friday and Saturday as scores of traffic accidents littered Los Angeles County freeways and streets during the first rainfall of Spring.

A storm that dropped a half-inch of rain on downtown Los Angeles and heavy snow in the Sierra made driving treacherous throughout the region.

In addition to traffic accidents, the rain Saturday was blamed for a mudslide at 9:30 a.m. that temporarily blocked several lanes of the Long Beach Freeway near Lakewood, and for a downed power lines that left 1,600 persons in Los Angeles’ Koreatown and 800 in Encino without electricity for part of the day.

The snow level today is expected to drop from 6,000 feet to 4,000 feet and showers will taper off, “sputtering out” about noon, said Rick Dittman of WeatherData, which provides forecasts for The Times.

A 28-year-old woman and a 5-year-old boy were killed and four others injured about 9:15 a.m. Saturday after the car they were riding in pulled in front of a pickup truck traveling at least 50 miles an hour, precipitating a collision on the Sierra Highway just north of Lancaster, the CHP reported.

Names of the victims were withheld pending notification of relatives.

The driver of the car, 24-year-old Hoang Hang of Los Angeles, and the driver of the truck, 24-year-old Mike Goodwill of Rosamond, suffered major injuries. Two other passengers in Hang’s car, girls age 7 and 3, suffered less severe injuries.

In another incident, Edward Vasquez, 8, was killed Friday evening when he was struck by a car in Baldwin Park. The driver, Rubin Jacabo, 34, was charged with felony hit-and-run because he left the accident scene, police said.