A drunk driver was at fault in a fiery crash Sunday on the 605 Freeway that killed four people and injured two others, according to the California Highway Patrol.
Officer Zachary Salazar, a CHP spokesperson, said that back-to-back crashes just before 1 a.m. Sunday ended with one vehicle completely engulfed in flames, fatally trapping its four occupants. Salazar did not identify the victims.
Officers initially responded to a crash involving a Nissan sedan and a CHP vehicle that left the Nissan disabled in one of the southbound lanes on the 605 near Rosecrans Avenue. The Nissan was subsequently hit from behind by a Kia, which investigators said was driven by Iris Salmeron, who is suspected of driving while under the influence of alcohol, Salazar said.
Salmeron and a passenger were taken to the hospital for injuries, but Salazar said they were both in stable condition. No CHP officers were injured.
Salazar earlier told ABC-7 News that officials planned to arrest the driver on suspicion of DUI causing injury.
The officer told reporters that the deadly crash could have been prevented with better decision-making.
“It’s entirely preventable due to the fact that one of the drivers was driving under the influence,” Salazar said, according to KTLA. “This could have been prevented. … Our hearts go out to the families who are involved.”
All southbound lanes of the 605 Freeway were reopened around noon Sunday after having been closed for hours from Firestone Boulevard to Rosecrans Avenue amid the investigation, CHP officials said.
