Driver burns to death in plunge off 14 Freeway in Santa Clarita

A motorist was burned to death when an SUV went over the side of the 14 Freeway in Santa Clarita, the CHP said Tuesday.

The driver lost control of the Ford Explorer about 8:30 p.m. Monday after the vehicle’s back left tire blew out, and the SUV was launched over the guard rail, the agency told the L.A. Times.

The vehicle then rolled about 100 feet down the embankment, where it became engulfed in flames.

The driver has not yet been identified.

The crash forced the closure of two lanes Monday night on the northbound side of the freeway, according to CHP Officer Tatiana Sauquillo.

-- Stephen Ceasar, Los Angeles Times