Early morning crash on the Industry 60 Freeway involving a wrong-way driver resulted in the death of a young girl and several injured individuals on Wednesday morning. The incident, which occurred just minutes after 4 a.m., began when a 2016 Hyundai Sonata was involved in another crash on the freeway near Crossroads Parkway, causing the car to spin out, as reported by the California Highway Patrol.
The Hyundai driver then traveled east in the westbound lanes "at a high rate of speed," eventually crashing into four other vehicles before fleeing on foot. Two tanker trucks suffered moderate damage while the Hyundai and a 2015 Toyota Corolla sustained significant damage, the California Highway Patrol added.
The Corolla's passenger, an 11-year-old girl, was declared dead at the scene, while the Corolla's driver, a 50-year-old Moreno Valley man, was taken to LAC+USC Medical Center with significant facial lacerations.
One tanker truck driver, a 55-year-old Pico Rivera man, complained of minor pain in his right shoulder, while the other tanker truck driver and a third man who was behind the wheel of a 2020 Kia Rio were not injured.
The accident also closed the westbound freeway for several hours. One lane reopened at 7:20 a.m. and all lanes were fully open around 9:15 a.m., according to Caltrans.
According to the California Highway Patrol, the stolen Hyundai with license plate number 8MJU89. The driver of that car, described as a white or Hispanic man in his 30s, dressed in light clothing, fled barefoot from the scene. He was still at large as of Wednesday night.
Authorities are asking for the public's help in locating the Hyundai driver. "He may appear distressed or potentially injured as a result of that collision," said California Highway Patrol Officer Zachary Salazar.
Originally posted at Abogados de Accidentes
