Violent 4-car wreck pins SUV upside down in Van Nuys; 1 in critical condition

VAN NUYS, LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- At least five people were injured in a violent four-vehicle crash possibly caused by a driver who ran a red light in Van Nuys.

According to witnesses, a 19-year-old male driving a white Volkswagen Passat blew through a red light at the intersection of Victory and Van Nuys boulevards around midnight.

The Passat slammed into a dark-colored Chevy TrailBlazer LS. That's when two other vehicles crashed into the cars, pinning the Chevy upside down on its roof.

The driver of the Chevy, described as a woman in her mid-20s, and her passenger had to be cut out of their seat belts and extricated from the vehicle. The driver was said to be in critical condition with life-threatening injuries, and her passenger was listed in serious condition.

Police believe the Passat was traveling twice the posted speed limit in the area, which is 35 mph.

"The tremendous amount of damage is consistent with speeds that we really see in freeway speeds," said Detective Bill Bustos with Los Angeles police. "All that we know right now indicates that it's a very high rate of speed, and we want to know why."

The driver of the Passat and his passenger, who is also a teenager, were transported to an area hospital in serious condition. The driver was not arrested, but he was detained for questioning by police.

A fifth person was also injured and transported to an area hospital but was treated and released.

It's unknown if alcohol or drugs were involved. The crash remains under investigation.

If you have any information regarding this crash, you're urged to call the Los Angeles Police Department's Valley Traffic Division at (818) 644-8000.