Five dead, 8 injured in multi-vehicle crash near Los Angeles

LOS ANGELES — At least five people were killed and eight injured in a crash involving multiple vehicles in the metro area Thursday, authorities said.

A pregnant woman was among the three adult victims, and her fetus did not survive, California Highway Patrol said.

A 3-year-old was also killed, according to a law enforcement source familiar with the investigation.

At a Thursday evening news conference, California Highway Patrol, said the remains of another victim were found in the wreckage.

Two adults and six minors were taken to area hospitals after the crash, Highway Patrol spokesman Franco Pepi said.

The crash was reported about 1:40 p.m. at an intersection in Windsor Hills, about 10 miles southwest of downtown Los Angeles.

The extent of the injuries and additional information about the people killed, including whether they were in vehicles or pedestrians, was not immediately available.

At least six vehicles were involved, and three were in flames when Highway Patrol arrived, Pepi said. It was not clear how many of the vehicles were part of the initial collision.

The agency is investigating the cause of the crash and said speed is a contributing factor.

A vehicle, later identified as a Mercedes-Benz, was speeding southbound on La Brea Avenue before it hit another vehicle at the intersection, Pepi said.

The vehicle is thought to have run through a red light, according to California Highway Patrol.

The driver of the vehicle, identified as a 40-year-old woman, was among those taken to hospital and was being treated for major injuries, the highway patrol said.

Video of the wreckage from NBC Los Angeles showed at least two mangled and burned vehicles on a curb.