Woman killed, multiple cars damaged in violent 7-car crash in East Los Angeles; arrest made

EAST LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- A 21-year-old woman was killed early Tuesday morning in a violent 7-vehicle crash in East Los Angeles, and investigators say a driver has been arrested.

It happened at 12:16 a.m. near E Olympic Boulevard and S Vancouver Avenue. It's unclear what exactly caused the crash but a spokesperson for the California Highway Patrol said speed may have been a factor based on the wreckage. It's also too soon to tell if the driver may have run a red light.

"It's still under investigation," said CHP Public Information Officer William O'Hair. "It appears the traffic was going eastbound on Olympic when the crash occurred. If you look at the damage on the vehicles, one of the vehicles is almost undistinguishable, so I'm sure speed was a factor. As to what factor it played, it's hard to know at this time."

In video obtained by Eyewitness News, you can see some of the vehicles on top of each other, most of which were severely damaged.

A total of seven cars were involved in the crash. Investigators said two of the vehicles were in motion at the time of the crash while the rest were parked along the street.

The coroner's office identified the deceased passenger as 21-year-old Evelyn Ortega Solis.

The driver of the vehicle carrying the passenger who died, described only as a male adult, was arrested. He and the driver of the other vehicle suffered only minor injuries, authorities said.

The incident remains under investigation.