Boy, 2, Killed When Car Flips

A 2-year-old boy was killed Monday afternoon when he was ejected from a car that rolled over after a tire blew out, authorities said.

The boy was not wearing a seat belt at the time of the accident, which occurred in a remote area east of Lancaster near Saddleback Butte State Park, according to Officer Karen Faciane of the California Highway Patrol.

The boy was pronounced dead at the scene. The four other people in the car--including 4- and 5-year-old boys--were all taken to local hospitals and were in critical condition, Faciane said.

The names of the people involved were not released as of Monday night.

An investigation is continuing, but Faciane said officers believe the car was traveling west on Avenue J when the tire went flat and the driver lost control. The car rolled several times before coming to a stop.

It is possible that the driver could be charged with allowing the child to ride in the car without a seat belt. “First of all,” Faciane said, “we have to wait and see if anyone else doesn’t survive.”