2 killed in wrong-way crash along 210 ID’d by coroner

The people killed in a wrong-way crash along the westbound 210 Freeway in La Cañada Flintridge early Sunday morning have been identified by the Los Angeles County coroner.

Bruce Alvarenga, 24, of Panorama City and Kevork Khamisian, 32 of Sun Valley were the two drivers killed in the crash, according to the coroner. No one else was involved in the crash.

The two men were initially described by California Highway Patrol officials as men in their 20s. The coroner’s office released their identities within just a few hours of the deadly crash.

Just before 2 a.m., CHP officers got a call about a wrong-way driver traveling eastbound along the westbound 210 Freeway near Wheatland Avenue in Lake View Terrace, CHP Sgt. Manuel Rodriguez said.

Two CHP units were responding to that call and trying to catch up with the driver when another call about a crash came in “shortly after,” Rodriguez said. It’s unclear how much time passed between that initial call and the actual crash, which happened about 10 miles away.

According to Rodriguez, investigators determined the deadly crash was caused by a wrong-way driver after speaking with witnesses. However, as investigators were still clearing the scene, authorities were unsure which driver was going the wrong way.

“We don’t know for sure yet,” Rodriguez said, adding that authorities were still trying to collect that information from 911 callers.

Lanes of the westbound 210 Freeway were shut down for hours after the crash and reopened by 6 a.m., according to CHP.

No other details were released by authorities.