The crash was captured on video by a passing motorist, and the shocking footage went viral on social media.
In the video, a motorcyclist appears to kick a sedan, and then that sedan swerves. The driver strikes the center divider, spins back into traffic and hits a pickup truck, causing the pickup truck to flip over before it comes to a stop.
Andrew Flanigan, 45, of Arleta, was booked on $110,000 bail on three felony charges: assault with a deadly weapon, reckless driving and hit-and-run, officials said.
At a Wednesday afternoon press conference, California Highway Patrol Asst. Chief Mark Garrett said Flanigan was identified as the motorcyclist in the video and that CHP investigators and the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office determined he had been most responsible for the crash.
The driver of the pickup truck suffered moderate injuries in the wreck, CHP said.