Fatal Accident on I-5 in Oceanside Stops Traffic Back to O.C.

A 12-year-old Long Beach girl was killed in a fiery crash on Interstate 5 in Oceanside on Saturday when her older sister apparently lost control of their car, the California Highway Patrol reported.

Emily Bonsynat was burned beyond recognition, and the driver, Only Bonsynat, 17, was airlifted in critical condition to the UC San Diego Burn Center, according to the CHP and a hospital nursing supervisor.

Witnesses pulled the older sister from the wreck but were unable to rescue the younger girl, CHP Officer Rick Sablan said.

Another car was involved in the accident, but its occupants, a couple from Brooklyn, N.Y., suffered only minor injuries, Sablan said.

According to Sablan, the girls’ father and brother were driving ahead in a separate car and saw the accident.

Witnesses told officers it appeared the girls’ Toyota 4Runner drifted into another lane and the driver lost control trying to correct herself.

The car struck a vehicle on its right, rolled on its side and caught fire as it skidded down the freeway.

The crash, which occurred about 1 p.m., forced the CHP to close all southbound lanes for two hours and caused a 12-mile backup as far north as the Orange County line.