Pacoima Man Dies When Car Is Hit, Explodes
A 25-year-old Pacoima man died after the car he was driving exploded when it was hit from behind by a pickup truck on the northbound Hollywood Freeway in North Hollywood, the California Highway Patrol reported Tuesday.
Juan Garcia was killed about midnight Monday after his 1981 Chevrolet Chevette was struck by a 1991 pickup driven by Mitchell Edward Roberts, 35, police said.
Roberts of Lake View Terrace was arrested on suspicion of vehicular manslaughter, the CHP said. Roberts had only minor injuries, officials said.
After Garcia’s car caught fire, it hit a 1993 Toyota Corolla driven by Elizabeth Fuenzalida, 24, of Sylmar. Fuenzalida’s car became interlocked with the Chevette and began to burn as well. But she and her passenger escaped safely as construction workers doused the flames, said CHP Sgt. Kent Kilgore.
Police said Roberts was speeding and tried to pass Garcia’s car. When he came upon a Caltrans lane closure, he swerved back into Garcia’s lane and hit his car. Roberts’ truck then overturned and skidded for several hundred yards.
“The car didn’t stop,” Kilgore said. “The slide marks on the car’s roof indicated an incredible rate of speed.”
The accident caused the Hollywood Freeway near the Ventura Freeway interchange to be closed from midnight to about 9:30 a.m. Tuesday, the CHP said.
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