Two suspected drunk drivers arrested, caught racing over 120 mph

Two 24-year-old Los Angeles men were arrested early Sunday morning after allegedly drunkenly racing each other at more than 120 miles per hour on the eastbound Foothill (210) Freeway, police said.

Around 2:15 a.m., a patrol officer entering the freeway at Lowell Avenue noticed the two cars — a BMW and a Volkswagen — racing on the freeway, said Glendale Police spokeswoman Tahnee Lightfoot.

When the officer activated his lights to stop them, both drivers, later identified as Anthony Lopez and Aldo Huertaferia, exited the freeway to pull over at Maple and Walnut streets in Pasadena.

The officer reportedly smelled alcohol on the drivers, who were friends. They both subsequently failed field sobriety tests.

Huertaferia and Lopez were arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence and cited for allegedly engaging in a speed contest and driving in excess of 100 mph, Lightfoot said.

“Luckily the officer was in the right place at the right time to see these guys speeding, which could’ve resulted in a tragic accident,” Lightfoot said.

The arrests come on the heels of a deadly rollover collision in Glendale in which 20-year-old Richard Pananian was killed after crashing while speeding down the Golden State (5) Freeway.

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Alene Tchekmedyian, alene.tchekmedyian@latimes.com

Twitter: @atchek