4 Die in Crash Caused by Race on 405 Freeway

Two cars racing on the San Diego Freeway set off a fiery crash in Van Nuys that killed four people, including a baby girl, authorities said Monday.

The child, along with two women believed to be in their 20s and a 30-year-old man, died Sunday evening after the Honda Accord in which they were riding was struck by a speeding Toyota Camry racing a red compact car at 10:30 p.m., the California Highway Patrol said. The Camry, driven by a 17-year-old Los Angeles boy, reached speeds of up to 90 m.p.h. on the southbound lanes of the freeway as it raced the unidentified red car between Devonshire Street and Roscoe Boulevard, the CHP said.

As the Camry swerved in and out of lanes, the teen-age driver lost control, hit the concrete center divider and spun out. The Accord swerved to avoid the Camry, skidded out of control, crashed into a sound wall and burst into flame, trapping the four occupants.

Dental records will be required to identify the bodies, which were burned beyond recognition, the Los Angeles County coroner’s office said.

The Camry driver--unidentified because of his age--was questioned at the scene and released pending further investigation. The driver of the red car was being sought.

The southbound lanes of the 405 Freeway were blocked for more than eight hours after the crash.