2 killed in crashes on 605 Freeway in Cerritos; all lanes reopened after hourslong closure

CERRITOS, Calif. -- Two people were killed early Saturday morning in related multi-vehicle collisions on the southbound 605 Freeway in Cerritos, prompting an hourslong closure of the interstate in both directions, authorities said.

Northbound lanes were reopened by 7:30 a.m. and the shutdown on the southbound side ended at about 9:30 a.m., according to the California Highway Patrol.

The incident, involving six vehicles and more than one crash, was reported at 1:09 a.m. on the 605, just north of the 91 Freeway interchange, the CHP said.

An unidentified adult male driver was outside of his 1999 Saturn when he was struck and died at the scene, the Highway Patrol said. Four occupants of two vehicles -- three women and one man -- were transported to a hospital, where one of the women was pronounced dead due to blunt force trauma.

The deceased woman, a passenger of a 2007 Honda, was later identified by the CHP as 24-year-old Gabriela Hernandez of Huntington Beach.

Another female passenger sustained a major fracture to her nasal bone, and a male occupant had moderate lacerations to his legs.

The driver of a 2016 Honda, 36-year-old Amy Johnson of Lakewood, suffered a "superior sternal fracture" and was arrested, a CHP news release said. It was unclear what charges she was facing.

Speed was a factor in the incident, whose cause is under investigation, authorities said.

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call Officer Ficara at the Highway Patrol's Santa Fe Springs office at (562) 868-0503.