3 Men Killed In Fiery Anaheim Hit-And-Run Crash; Driver Found After Running From Scene
ANAHEIM (CBSLA) – A driver and her passenger ran from the scene of a two-vehicle crash that killed three men in Anaheim early Tuesday morning, but were later found in the emergency room of a local hospital.
A Kia and a Mercedes collided at approximately 2:50 a.m. in the area of South Brookhurst Street and West Orange Avenue.
Anaheim police responded to find the wreckage engulfed in flames. Three men in the Kia were pronounced dead at the scene, police said. They were not immediately identified.
The driver and passenger of the Mercedes, both women in their 20s, ran away on foot, but were later found at an area hospital emergency room, police said.
Officers said the Mercedes appeared to have been speeding down Brookhurst Street when it careened into the Kia, which was pulling out of a shopping center parking lot.
"The black SUV was flying, with the Mercedes under him, and as you see, the sign behind me it got bent, it got bent from that SUV, it was flying," witness Sal Zatar told CBSLA.
Witness Kevin Lee, who rushed to help, said the Mercedes caught fire immediately.
"Someone saying that their friend was stuck in the other car, and then the fire started, and so we grabbed fire extinguishers and tried to take the fire out," Lee said.
At least one of the women in the crash was badly injured. Police are investigating whether speed or alcohol were factors. So far, no arrests have been made.
"They'll determine the rate of speed, but based on the force of the collision, and what's obvious here and what you can see behind me, it does appear there was some speed involved," Anaheim police Sgt. Shane Carringer told reporters.
Brookhurst Street was shut down between Broadway and Orange Avenue for several hours following the wreck.
