All lanes of 10 Freeway in Mid-City reopened after fatal crash

All lanes on the eastbound 10 Freeway in Mid-City were reopened after a fatal crash early Monday forced a full closure.

The lanes reopened about 7:30 a.m. at La Brea Avenue after a pair of collisions involved six cars, the California Highway Patrol said.

The first crash occurred about 3:45 a.m., according to the CHP’s dispatch log. Witnesses reported seeing flames climbing out of one car’s engine block and an injured man standing on the side of the road.

One person was killed in the wreck, but officials could not say which vehicle the victim was in or if the person was driving.

Witnesses reported a second crash at the site that involved three additional cars shortly after the first accident, the CHP said.

Traffic was diverted off the freeway at La Brea for hours, and the LAPD kept cars from using the onramp there, officials said.

The closure made driving difficult for West L.A. commuters and others headed toward downtown, but it was not the only issue affecting the 10 Freeway, the main road from Los Angeles to Phoenix.

After a powerful weekend storm, a bridge on the 10 Freeway was washed out in Desert Center, a vital shipping route between Coachella and Arizona.

Caltrans said the freeway is closed between Route 86 and the Arizona border, along with California 177 and 78, because of flooding. The alternative routes are Arizona Route 95, Interstate 40 and 8 and State Route 111 to Route 86, Caltrans said.

For breaking California news, follow @JosephSerna.