2 dead after getting ejected from car during violent wrong-way crash at end of pursuit in Pomona
Two people were killed when they were ejected from a car when a pursuit ended in a wrong-way crash in Pomona on Friday evening.
The collision happened at around 5:45 p.m. when the suspects inside of a BMW X6 were fleeing from pursuing officers along the I-10 Freeway near Kellogg Drive, according to the California Highway Patrol.
Police say that the suspects had entered the freeway and were driving the wrong way when they lost control at some point, veering off the road and slamming into a dirt berm. The force of the crash ejected two of the occupants from inside.
They were both pronounced dead at the scene after the car rolled several times, landing on top of the ejected victims. One of the men was identified as 34-year-old Joey Gomez by the Los Angeles Department of Medical Examiner on Saturday. The second victim was identified as Jose Caudillo, 38, on Sunday.
The driver, 30-year-old Erick Daniel Bolanos of Montclair, was taken into custody after attempting to run from the scene of the crash. It's unclear if they were injured in the crash.
Police say that another passenger, only identified as a 45-year-old man, suffered non-life-threatening injuries and was hospitalized for treatment.
All westbound lanes of the freeway are closed as the investigation continues, as well as the northbound SR-71/westbound I-10 transition and the Kellogg Drive off-ramp. Police are diverting traffic onto the southbound SR-71.
The cause of the crash remains under investigation and police have not yet revealed exactly why they were chasing the suspects in the first place.