SigAlert: Fiery Wrong-Way Driver Crash Shuts Down 91 Freeway

Los Angeles CA

25 July, 2021

11:50 AM

Description

LONG BEACH, CA — Two people were killed in a pileup caused by a head-on collision when a 21-year-old wrong-way driver raced along the Artesia (91) Freeway in Long Beach at 90 miles per hour Sunday morning, according to the California Highway Patrol. The four-car pileup triggered a SigAlert shutting down the freeway at Atlantic Avenue. A Palmdale woman was driving a 2016 Honda between 70 and 85 mph westbound in the eastbound HOV lane at the time of the head-on crash, which killed both drivers, the CHP said. The other victim was a 30-year-old Hemet woman driving a 2016 Chrysler eastbound in the HOV lane at approximately 70 mph. The crash took place at the Atlantic Avenue on-ramp of the eastbound freeway at about 5:25 a.m. The two women were pronounced dead at the scene and at least one vehicle caught fire, according to the California Highway Patrol. Two other people were assessed at the scene and released, according to Capt. Jack Crabtree of the Long Beach Fire Department. "Further investigation revealed there was a property damage only collision that occurred a short distance from this fatal traffic collision, and was a separate incident from the fatal traffic collision," the CHP said. Several callers had reported a sedan driving westbound in the eastbound fast lane at high speeds just moments before, the California Highway Patrol reported. A Sigalert was issued at 5:47 a.m. shutting down all eastbound 91 Freeway lanes, just west of Atlantic Boulevard, as well as the transition road from the northbound Long Beach (710) Freeway to the eastbound 91 Freeway, for an unknown duration. As of 9:45 a.m., the right eastbound lane had reopened. City News Service and Patch Staffer Paige Austin contributed to this report.