3 Die, 3 Hurt When Pickup Strikes Side of Cliff on Freeway
A pickup struck the side of a cliff on the Antelope Valley Freeway near Agua Dulce on Thursday, killing three passengers and injuring three others, the California Highway Patrol reported.
The dead, who were riding in the bed of the pickup, were thrown onto the roadway, Officer Wendy Moore said. Another passenger thrown from the truck bed suffered major injuries and was taken by helicopter to Henry Mayo Newhall Memorial Hospital in Valencia, Moore said.
The driver appeared to have been under the influence of alcohol, Moore said.
Authorities said the truck appeared to have rolled several times, littering the pavement with debris.
No other vehicles were involved, and there were no witnesses, Moore said.
The driver and a passenger in the truck cab were being treated at Palmdale Hospital Medical Center for moderate injuries, officials said.
The names of the dead and injured were not immediately available.
The accident occurred about 8:30 p.m. just south of the Escondido Canyon Road on-ramp, on the southbound side of the freeway, authorities said.
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