PICO RIVERA : 2 Women Burn to Death After Car Is Rear-Ended
Two women were burned to death when their station wagon was rear-ended at a Pico Rivera intersection while stopped at a signal Monday, sheriff’s deputies said.
Casimiro Torres, 33, of Santa Ana, who was driving the car that crashed into the women’s vehicle, was treated for head, face and knee injuries and then booked for investigation of vehicular manslaughter in the County-USC Medical Center jail ward, police said.
“The two women were burned beyond recognition,” said sheriff’s Sgt. Mike Meza. However, vehicle registration data led to tentative identifications as two women from Whittier .
The women’s vehicle was knocked across the intersection at Slauson Avenue and Crossway Drive by the force of the crash, and its fuel tank burst into flames. One witness who tried to pull the victims from the car was driven back by the flames.
Although an empty bottle of liquor was found in the suspect’s car, Meza said police are waiting for the results of blood tests to see if he was intoxicated.
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