Pedestrian Killed, 3 Hurt in Collision

A pedestrian was killed and a married couple were injured Sunday morning in Chatsworth in a chain-reaction crash that Los Angeles police suspect was caused by a speeding driver.

Aroldo Fuentes, 31, of Chatsworth died in the accident, which occurred about 10:40 a.m. at the intersection of Lassen Street and DeSoto Avenue, police said.

It began when a Cadillac heading south on DeSoto collided with a Ford pickup truck traveling east on Lassen, police said. Witnesses estimated that the Cadillac was moving 100 m.p.h., Sgt. Rod Grahek said.

Witnesses also reported that the Cadillac ran a red light at the intersection, Officer Christopher Cortijo said. After the initial collision, the Cadillac hit Fuentes and slammed into two other cars, a Honda and a Toyota, Cortijo said.

A shotgun believed to have been in the Cadillac’s trunk went sailing out, skittering to rest about 400 feet away along the curb on DeSoto, Cortijo said.

The impact of the crash, meanwhile, sent the pickup spinning into an Oldsmobile, then into a wall--and, finally, backward into the Honda, Cortijo said.

The driver of the pickup, William Flint, 68, of Canoga Park, suffered broken ribs and was in serious condition Sunday night at Granada Hills Community Hospital. His wife, Elaine Flint, 72, was in fair condition at Northridge Hospital Medical Center with a broken right leg.

The driver of the Cadillac, Ali Tamadon, 21, of Pacoima, was arrested on suspicion of manslaughter, police said, and was being held Sunday night at County-USC Medical Center. His condition was not available.