Deadly Street Racing Accident In Paramount Gives Locals More Cause For Alarm
PARAMOUNT (CBSLA.com) — A street race between two Chevy pickups that ended with an innocent 73-year-old woman being killed and four more people hurt Wednesday evening has residents in Paramount alarmed.
But many of the residents near Orange Avenue and Somerset Boulevard, where the crash occurred about 7:30 p.m., said street racing there is common.
Reuben Estrada lit two candles and left them at the scene.
"It's just a sad situation," Estrada said.
He told CBS2's Amy Johnson that street racing there happens "all the time. These people, they're just racing up and down the street; they have no remorse for life."
Authorities said the two trucks were racing up Orange Avenue when they reached a light turning red at Somerset. One truck made it through the intersection.
The second truck crashed into a Ford pickup, killing a female passenger. Four other vehicles were involved in the crash.
"I hear a big crash," said Marcillino "Moose" Rodriguez. He ran from his business and saw the mangled mass of metal.
"I've been around here 35 years; I've seen a lot of accidents," Rodriguez said, "but nothing like this. Pretty bad."
Five people were taken to hospitals, and three were in critical condition, including one of the drivers who was reportedly racing.
"Devastating. Devastating," said Dan Habash. "It was really bad."
He said crashes are generally common for the intersection. Habash said he hoped Wednesday's tragedy will remind other drivers to slow down.
"I'm sad to see this happen, but maybe this will be a wake-up call for the Paramount sheriff to really start patrolling up and down the neighborhood and possibly slowing it down," Habash said.
The alleged racing driver has been upgraded to stable, Johnson reports.
Investigators hope to interview that man soon. As for the other driver, police said, he was driving a dark Chevy pickup.
If you have any information about the driver of that truck, you're asked to call the LA County Sheriff's Department.