Bay Area Mothers, Children Killed In 'Horrific' Minivan Wreck In SoCal
GORMAN, Los Angeles County (CBS SF) — A fiery minivan wreck killed two mothers and their four children from the Bay Area early Tuesday on a highway in northern Los Angeles County, authorities said.
Two men, the husbands and fathers, were injured trying to save their families on Interstate 5 near the community of Gorman along the Tejon Pass, about 65 miles north of downtown Los Angeles.
The minivan got in a minor collision and stopped on the shoulder. It was still partially in a lane when a semitrailer hit it and it burst into flames with the women and children inside, California Highway Patrol officers told KCAL 9 News Los Angeles.
CHP Officer Jeff Burdick and his partner Officer Dan Williams rushed to help the two fathers braving huge flames desperately trying to reach their wives and children.
"I've never seen anything this bad in my 10-year career so it's going to be difficult," said Burdick.
Burdick raced toward the burning minivan with a fire extinguisher but couldn't get close.
"Words can't describe it. It was horrific ... seeing them trying to get their families out, us trying to get their families out," said Williams.
"It was hard but we had to pull them away from the vehicle because obviously they wanted to help their families and we had to keep them away from the vehicle," said Burdick.
The men were transported to a hospital for treatment of burn injuries to their arms and faces. An update on their conditions was not immediately available.
KCAL said the minivan was a rental. According to a collision report from the CHP, the families were from San Francisco and Daly City.
It was not known whether the truck driver sustained any injuries.
The cause of the crash remained under investigation.
TM and © Copyright 2016 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2016 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten. The Associated Press contributed to this report.