Earlier this month, a five freeway accident killed a Santa Clarita man and caused a massive fire along the route. The California Highway Patrol is investigating the incident.
Santa Clarita man killed
During the night of January 31st, a Santa Clarita man was killed in a vehicle crash on the 5 Freeway in Los Angeles. His identity has yet to be released, but the CHP reports that the man was pronounced dead at the scene.
According to the California Highway Patrol, the man’s vehicle was traveling southbound when he was struck by a vehicle in the opposite lane. The driver of the disabled vehicle was then struck by another vehicle.
The CHP reports that the man was driving a 1994 Chevrolet Suburban when he was involved in the crash. The vehicle’s rear end was hit by a Nissan Altima.
The accident caused the vehicle to roll over. The impact of the crash caused one of the vehicles to overturn, leaving the other vehicle in the northbound lanes of the freeway.
According to the California Highway Patrol, a fatal crash on the southbound 5 Freeway occurred near Lost Hills Road at 3:54 p.m. The accident is currently being investigated. The driver of the vehicle, identified as Miguel Guarchaj Rosario, was pronounced dead at the scene.
Five vehicles involved
Several accidents occurred on Interstate 5 Wednesday morning, and at least three people were injured. The crash spanned over a mile, creating a huge traffic backup. The crash was also the cause of a SigAlert, a courtesy from the California Highway Patrol.
The crash involved a big rig, a SUV, and two smaller vehicles. The most notable damage was found on a car that looked like it had been mangled from the back. A palm tree was also taken out.
One person was killed, and four others were hurt. The cause of the crash is unknown. The crash has caused lane closures on the I-5 southbound between mile marker 228 and 211.
The crash was reported at about 8 a.m., and the CHP has not said if speed was a factor. It is also unknown whether or not drugs contributed to the crash.
The crash happened near Stadium Way and the 110 Freeway. The SigAlert was issued due to the lane closures.
Route fire damage
Earlier this week, the Route Fire caused heavy traffic on the 5 Freeway. The fire burned over 4,600 acres in the Castaic area, leading to the closure of northbound I-5 and a state of emergency for California. The fire also damaged two retaining walls on the freeway.
The fire was reported on August 31 near Castaic. It quickly spread and by the time the flames were contained, the fire had burned 4,600 acres. In the meantime, Caltrans and the Los Angeles County Fire Department had to evacuate the area, including the Paradise Ranch Mobile Estates. Thankfully, the evacuations were short-lived. The first phase of the evacuations ended Tuesday evening.
In the aftermath of the Route Fire, two lanes of Interstate 5 near Castaic will remain closed for the foreseeable future. This will allow crews to assess the damage and repair it. They will likely use wood retaining walls, which are quicker to build than concrete. The fire has also damaged two other structures.
California Highway Patrol investigation
Despite being the primary investigating officer on the scene, the California Highway Patrol (CHP) failed to collect key physical evidence. According to the CHP spokesperson, this may have contributed to the failure of the investigation.
The CHP is still investigating the crash and is still seeking the identity of the driver. Two CHP officers were injured and flown to the hospital by helicopter. The CHP spokesperson said that preliminary reports indicate that there may have been more than one fatality in the crash.
Investigators are still working to identify the victims and notify their families. A spokesperson for the CHP said that alcohol may not have been a factor in the crash.
Investigators also are looking into the factors that may have contributed to the incident. Some of those factors include the driver, the vehicle, and the environment.
The CHP is working with the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department and the L.A. County Sheriff Department to find out why the vehicles were on the freeway. The two vehicles were traveling wrong-way. They collided head-on. The wrong-way driver was killed on the scene.
