3 Dead, 1 Injured After Vehicle Crashes Into LA River In Long Beach
LONG BEACH (CBSLA.com) — Three people were killed early Friday morning after a vehicle crashed into the Los Angeles River in Long Beach.
The accident was reported around 4:07 a.m. off the 710 Freeway at Anaheim Street, according to Battalion Chief Jim Arvizu.
"They did what they called a rope rescue down in the embankment. They had to stabilize the vehicle because it was on its roof, so that makes it a little bit more complicated, especially down there on the rocks," he said.
Two men and a woman in their 20s were pronounced dead at the scene. One man was transported to a local trauma center with mild to moderate injuries.
The Los Angeles County coroner's office identified the deceased as 17-year-old Alicia Leanne Yanonis of Long Beach and 19-year-olds Fabian Cazares Garcia Jr. and Armando Herrera, whose places of residence were not available.
Friends of the deceased were drawn to the crash site to pay their respects.
"He was a good guy, to be honest with you," one man said of Herrera. He said they played soccer together.
Authorities at the scene said they did not yet know if speed or alcohol was involved in the crash. But at the scene, skid marks can be seen going over a raised curb along eastbound Anaheim Street, hit a concrete embankment and went airborne, over another concrete wall, nearly into the water of the LA River.
One first responder at the scene said the car traveled for about 100 feet in the air.
Both the northbound and southbound on and off ramps were closed during the investigation. Anaheim Street was also shut down and reopened by 12 p.m.
The investigation was ongoing.