Five Cyclists Die in Fiery Sierra Crash

Five people were killed and three others were injured critically Saturday in a fiery head-on collision between a pack of motorcycles and a flatbed truck on a mountain road near Lake Tahoe, authorities said.

The fatalities brought to 12 the number of people killed on California highways during the first 24 hours of the Labor Day weekend, traditionally one of the deadliest periods in the state. Last year, 53 people were killed in traffic accidents during the three-day weekend.

In an attempt to cut down on the weekend carnage, nearly 80% of the CHP’s traffic officers have been placed on patrol, especially to be on the lookout for drunk drivers, said Ernie Garcia, a CHP spokesman.

The worst of the holiday collisions occurred shortly after 1:25 p.m. Saturday on Iron Mountain Road in El Dorado County.

Five people were killed when a one-ton flatbed loaded with freshly cut wood overturned and collided with five motorcycles carrying an unknown number of passengers. All the dead were motorcyclists.

Three people, including the driver of the truck, were critically injured and taken to the University Medical Center in Sacramento, officials said. The 24-year-old truck driver was identified as Daniel DeWater, 24, of Shingle Springs, who suffered burns over 30% of his body. Two motorcyclists also were severely burned, and two others were treated for minor cuts and bruises.

CHP Sgt. Rod Yates said the truck and all five motorcycles were engulfed in flames on impact. Investigators so far are baffled about the cause of the collision, which occurred on a straight stretch of paved road about an hour from Lake Tahoe, Yates said.

“Road conditions were just about as close to ideal as you can get,” Yates said. “What caused (the truck) to overturn, I don’t know.”

The truck apparently braked, slid and overturned, crossing the center stripe into the opposite lane, Yates said.

The cyclists reportedly were part of a caravan of about 40 riders traveling to the Sierra Nevada for a Labor Day festival.

“We think the riders were part of a much bigger group,” Yates said. “These were chopper-type bikes, but we don’t think they were Hells Angels. We think it was a club outing. It’s a nice road for a motorcycle ride.”

The first fatality reported on Los Angeles County roads and freeways during the holiday period, which the CHP said began at 6 p.m. Friday, occurred at 1 a.m. Saturday on the Pacific Coast Highway.

Jesus Lopez, 19, was standing in traffic near Sunset Boulevard when he was struck by two cars and killed, Los Angeles Police Sgt. Robert Topete said.

“He was pulling down his pants, showing his rear end to southbound traffic,” Topete said. “He was out in the middle of the highway and it was dark. It made it difficult for people to get around him.”

Lopez was pronounced dead at the scene, Topete said.