14 Injured in 5-Car Pileup on Golden State Freeway

Fourteen people were injured Sunday in a five-car pileup on rain-slick lanes of the Golden State Freeway in Valencia that triggered traffic jams on nearby roads for several hours, the California Highway Patrol said.

The crashes occurred at about 5:30 p.m. when a southbound van rear-ended a minivan south of Magic Mountain Parkway, Sgt. Robert del Mese said. The minivan then slammed into a car, which in turn rear-ended a fourth vehicle, he said.

A fifth car hit the rear of the van that started the chain reaction, Del Mese said. One person was critically injured. Four people suffered major injuries and nine had minor to moderate injuries, he said.

The injured were transported by helicopter and ambulance to four area hospitals, Del Mese said. At least one ambulance was called in from Palmdale.

The crashes forced the closure of two lanes of the freeway for about an hour and clogged freeway traffic and nearby roads, including The Old Road, for several hours, Del Mese said. No one was cited at the scene of the accident.