Probe Begun of SUV Rollover That Killed 6
An investigation was underway Sunday into what caused a deadly rollover accident that claimed the lives of six in an SUV driving toward Las Vegas.
The accident occurred about 9:30 p.m. Saturday just north of Barstow on Interstate 15, the major thoroughfare between Southern California and Las Vegas.
A Ford Expedition carrying six people swerved into a brushy area and rolled violently after the driver apparently lost control, said CHP Officer Matt Hunt. Four occupants were thrown from the vehicle and two others were partially ejected. All were pronounced dead at the scene.
It was not clear what caused the driver to lose control or whether another vehicle was involved, Hunt said. “It’s going to take us a couple of days to finish the investigation,” he said.
Authorities identified the passengers Sunday as Eve Rodriguez, 48, and Jose Rodriguez, 50, of Hinkley Calif., along with Maria Lucero, 68, and Antonio Lucero, 75, of Wilmington, Calif. Authorities withheld the names of the driver, a 48-year-old Norwalk woman, and her 50-year-old husband, pending notification of their next of kin.
The stretch of Interstate 15 where the accident occurred is one of the deadliest in the state. More than 127 people have been killed in the last three years on the highway between Barstow and Nevada.
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