2 Killed, 6 Hurt in Chain-Reaction Freeway Crash : Accidents: Suspected drunk driver allegedly caused the pileup. A Studio City woman is one of the dead.

Two women--including one from Studio City--were killed and six other people were injured Sunday in a series of collisions that began when a suspected drunk driver slammed into the rear of a pickup truck on the Santa Ana Freeway, the California Highway Patrol said.

The dead were identified as Elizabeth Newman, 35, of Dominguez Hills and Patricia Ann Maglietto, 24, of Studio City, the CHP said.

CHP spokeswoman Soledad Weaver said the string of crashes began shortly after 3:50 a.m. in the northbound lanes near the Ball Road off-ramp when the driver of a Ford Mustang, allegedly traveling about 100 m.p.h., rear-ended a Ford pickup truck driven by Alfredo Cortez, 51, of Bell.

The driver of the Mustang, identified as Rafael Cruz, 27, of Santa Ana, allegedly fled the accident on foot after the cars came to a stop in the center divider, Weaver said. Cruz, who suffered serious injuries, was arrested by police as he tried to flee. He was taken to Western Medical Center-Santa Ana, where he was being held on suspicion of drunk driving and misdemeanor hit-and-run driving, Weaver said.

Shortly after the initial collision, Newman, Maglietto and Lori Kitagawa, 19, of La Palma, who were all in a Honda sedan, collided with the Mustang. The drivers of a Chevrolet Camaro and Ford Thunderbird stopped to assist.

While the driver of the Thunderbird called 911 from her car phone, the three women and the driver of the Camaro stood in the center divider surveying the wreckage.

It was at that point, Weaver said, that Elisa Ortiz, 28, of Los Angeles, driving a Toyota off-road vehicle, slammed into the congregation. Maglietto was killed instantly, Weaver said. Newman was later pronounced dead at a local hospital.

Ortiz, who is pregnant, was trapped in her vehicle and had to be extracted by emergency crews, Weaver said. She was taken to Mission Hospital Regional Medical Center in Mission Viejo with minor injuries. Weaver said Ortiz was not cited pending further investigation.

The collisions forced the closure of both sides of the Santa Ana Freeway for three hours, said Caltrans traffic manager Paul King.

Times staff writer Matt Lait contributed to this report.