Feb. 27, 2016 A street race in Commerce left three people dead and two others critically injured on Feb. 27. The crash occurred around midnight on
Feb. 27, 2016
A street race in Commerce left three people dead and two others critically injured on Feb. 27. The crash occurred around midnight on 5 Freeway near Washington Boulevard, according to the California Highway Patrol.
Authorities said that two Dodge Chargers were racing in the southbound lanes of the freeway when one of the vehicles slammed into a UPS tractor-trailer, causing the big rig to lose control, go airborne and land on the center divider. A northbound Nissan was caught up in the collision and burst into flames.
The UPS driver and two back-seat passengers in the Nissan were pronounced dead at the scene of the crash. The driver and the front-seat passenger of the Nissan were transported to a local hospital. They were later listed in critical condition.
Family members said the occupants of the Nissan were college students who were returning from a day at Disneyland. The UPS driver was later identified as Scott Treadway of Mira Loma.
Police arrested the Dodge driver who hit the UPS truck. The second Dodge driver sped away from the scene of the crash.
The 5 Freeway was closed for nearly 24 hours as police investigated the crash and cleared the scene.