Multiple fatalities in I-5, Gorman crash

  • One of several vehicles involved in Tuesday morning's fatal crash is hoisted up from the side of Interstate 5. [photo by Gary Meyer, The Mountain Enterprise]

    One of several vehicles involved in Tuesday morning's fatal crash is hoisted up from the side of Interstate 5. [photo by Gary Meyer, The Mountain Enterprise]

GORMAN, CA (Tuesday, June 28, 2016 at 10:15 a.m.)—At 10:11 a.m., traffic was still backed up to the summit from Gorman, according to CHP.

GORMAN, CA (Tuesday, June 28, 2016 at 9:45 a.m.)—Multiple deaths resulted from a crash on southbound Interstate 5 early this morning, involving several vehicles and a big rig truck. Fort Tejon CHP Officer Romero said two mothers and four children are dead. The crash occurred just south of Gorman School Road.

Romero said that there were two separate accidents. According to CHP records the first occurred just before 3:30 a.m., which, Romero said, was a non-injury accident with one vehicle in the center divider and another on the right shoulder. Two CHP officers were on scene for that accident. A short time later, a big rig truck struck the Toyota Sienna mini-van that was on the right shoulder. Two men (who may be related to the occupants) ran to ask help from the officers. CHP Officer Burdick ran to try to get the occupants out of the vehicle, which was on fire with flames preventing the officer from reaching the occupants. Officer Williams grabbed a fire extinguisher to try to put out the flames. The officers were unable to knock down the flames in time to save the occupants.

The two men were taken to Henry Mayo Newhall Memorial Hospital for treatment of burn injuries. Their injuries are believed to be non-life-threatening, according to Romero.

More information will be available in The Mountain Enterprise print edition on Thursday morning.

This is part of the June 24, 2016 online edition of The Mountain Enterprise.

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