CALIFORNIA BRIEFING / TULARE COUNTY

A motorist fleeing police ran a stop sign and crashed into a pickup truck, southeast of Fresno, killing himself, two passengers and four children who were ejected from the truck, authorities said Sunday.

The Saturday afternoon crash occurred at the intersection of Avenue 424 and Road 120 about four miles from the spot where a Dinuba police officer tried to pull over a man driving a Dodge Neon that had been reported stolen.

The driver allegedly ran a stop sign on East Nebraska Avenue and then sped through a second stop sign, crashing into a GMC Sierra pickup truck, said CHP Officer Felipe Martinez.

The California Highway Patrol said all of the children in the truck, including an 8-year-old who was injured, were believed to be from the same family.

Those who died at the scene included a 3-year-old boy and three girls, ages 1, 4 and 7, said CHP Officer Kirk Arnold. Their names were not immediately available.

The two adults in the pickup were taken to a local hospital, the CHP said. They were identified as Carlos Salazar Jr., 29, and Jennifer Salazar, 26, apparently from nearby Orange Cove.

-- Ari B. Bloomekatz