4 killed in fiery chain-reaction crash on 605 Freeway in Norwalk; DUI suspect arrested
Authorities said a 26-year-old woman from Bellflower was arrested for DUI.
NORWALK, Calif. (KABC) -- Four people were killed in a fiery chain-reaction crash overnight on the 605 Freeway in Norwalk.
It happened just before 1 a.m. Sunday, along the southbound lanes, just north of Rosecrans.
According to California Highway Patrol spokesperson Ofc. Zachary Salazar, 26-year-old Iris Salmeron of Bellflower, who was believed to be under the influence of alcohol, crashed at high speed into a Nissan that was stalled in the middle of the freeway.
The driver of the Nissan had just been involved in a separate crash with a CHP vehicle moments before, Salazar said.
The Nissan caught fire after being hit by the Kia, killing all four people who were trapped inside.
Drivers on the 605 Freeway captured video of the Nissan up in flames in the middle of the roadway.
Salmeron and a passenger were rushed to the hospital with major injuries, according to Salazar. The CHP officer involved in the initial crash was not hurt.
Authorities said Salmeron was arrested and will be booked for multiple felony crimes, including DUI causing injury and DUI causing injury with a BAC of 0.08% or higher.
"It is extremely unfortunate," said Salazar. "It is tragic. It's devastating to the victims' families. It's a difficult situation to have to go through, to investigate, and our officers are working diligently to investigate this to the best of their ability. Ultimately, this is preventable."
All southbound lanes of the 605 Freeway have since reopened after they were closed for about 11 hours.
The crash remains under investigation. The names of the four people who were killed were not immediately released.
