1 Dies When Auto Hits Cars Stopped for Film Crew

An 87-year-old West Los Angeles woman was killed and five people were injured when a car plowed into a line of vehicles stopped on a rural road in the Antelope Valley for a film shooting, the California Highway Patrol reported Wednesday.

Beatrice Poston was fatally injured about 5:30 p.m. Tuesday on the Pearblossom Highway at 180th Street East in Llano, CHP Officer Miguel Siordia said.

Siordia said CHP officers had stopped traffic on the two-lane road in an undeveloped area while a crew filmed an old gas station.

“They were shooting off the road but they needed to stop cars from going by” so the structure would appear to be in a desolate area, Siordia said.

He added that “Men Working” signs were placed next to the road, a CHP car was stopped on the road with its emergency lights on and officers were out of the car directing traffic to stop. The film crew had received a permit from the California Department of Transportation to stop traffic, he said.

About 12 westbound cars had stopped on the road when a vehicle driven by Penny Stone, 27, of Apple Valley smashed into the rear of the line while traveling about 50 m.p.h. “She failed to realize that traffic had stopped,” Siordia said.

Her car hit the rear of a car driven by Robert Preston, 67, of Sedona, Ariz., which was carrying his wife, Shirley, and Poston, who was in the back seat. The Prestons suffered moderate injuries. Poston died shortly after being taken to Antelope Valley Medical Center.

Preston’s car was pushed into the car in front of it. In that car, driver Warren Tonuy, 35, of Palmdale suffered minor injuries.

Stone and her 3-year-old daughter, Courtney, suffered moderate injuries.

The injured were treated by paramedics and at area hospitals.

Siordia said Stone will be charged with misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter.