6 Killed, 4 Hurt When Van Rolls Over on Interstate in Desert

A flat tire may have caused a driver to lose control, sending a van rolling over several times on a Mojave Desert freeway Sunday, killing six people and injuring four, after the driver drifted into the center divider and lost control, the California Highway Patrol said.

Investigators were looking into the possibility that one of the van’s tires lost air, causing the driver to drift into the dirt center divider of Interstate 15, said CHP Sgt. Dennis Gaul.

The driver, who was heading west, apparently overcorrected and lost control, causing the van to roll over several times, the CHP said in a statement. The van came to a stop on the eastbound side of the freeway.

The crash shortly before 11:30 a.m. backed up traffic for several miles. The freeway is the main route between Southern California and Las Vegas. Clothing and other items littered the side of the road near the crushed white van.

Ten people from the Vallejo area were in the 1998 Chevrolet Astro Van when the driver, the CHP said.

The van veered and rolled over several times. Nine passengers who were not wearing seat belts were flung from the van.

The driver and five others died at the scene. Two girls, ages 14 and 16, and a man and woman in their 60s were taken to Las Vegas University Medical Center with minor injuries, the CHP said. None of the victims’ names were released.

The crash site was about 20 miles north of this San Bernardino County town. Baker is about 155 miles northeast of Los Angeles.