By Sean Ridgway, TME

On Christmas Day, tragedy struck in the thick of the Pineapple Express rain storm on the northbound Interstate 5 freeway just south of Vista Del Lago Road (roughly 20 minutes south of Lebec), according to the California Highway Patrol (CHP). At approximately 2:56 p.m., the Newhall CHP substation received reports of a multiple vehicle collision and that two minors were receiving CPR on the scene…(please see below to view full stories and photographs)

Photo captions:

Above: Traffic leaving Valencia going north on Interstate 5 just hours after the car accident

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This is part of the January 2, 2026 online edition of The Mountain Enterprise.

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