3 dead, 7 others injured after multi-vehicle crash in Winnetka
Three people were killed and seven others injured after a grisly three-vehicle collision in Winnetka Sunday evening.
Los Angeles Fire Department firefighters were sent to the scene just after 9 p.m. on W. Vanowen Street. Upon arrival, they found that three men dead at the scene of the crash.
According to Los Angeles Police Department, a Ford Explorer was allegedly speeding 65 to 75 miles per hour on W. Vanowen Street heading towards Corbin Avenue when it ran into a speed dip and lost control.
"I just couldn't believe what was going on," said neighbor Hector Rodriguez, who heard the crash. "I mean, I saw so many law enforcement, so many ambulances here. I've never seen that before."
Footage from the scene, which was obtained via home surveillance camera, shows the vehicle hurtling along before slamming into a pair of vehicles.
The impact of the collision ejected three of the occupants of the Ford, all of which were pronounced dead. A fourth occupant was also taken to a hospital after suffering injuries. He was saved by his seatbelt, officers said.
One of the men was 25-years-old, while the other two were said to be 30.
"It's a tragedy. The victims were all young," said Sgt. Dawn-Amber McCallum, who added that some open containers of alcohol were found in the Ford.
After hitting the dip, the SUV collided with two other vehicles, one of which was traveling in the opposite direction on Vanowen Street. The occupants, a pregnant woman and her husband, were both taken to a nearby hospital.
The other vehicle, a parked pickup truck, was also struck. All four of the people inside were also taken to a hospital for treatment.
Neighbors in the area said it's not uncommon for cars to speeding in the area.
"There a lot of crashes that occur here from time to time. So, our cars are always the ones that are always hit usually," Rodriguez said. "People need to be careful."