BALDWIN PARK, CA — Three people were killed and one person was injured when a California Highway Patrol chase ended in a violent crash on a Baldwin Park freeway exit ramp early Saturday, authorities said.
CHP said officers first spotted a red sedan traveling westbound on the 10 Freeway near Azusa Avenue shortly after 4 a.m. The driver was allegedly moving at more than 100 mph, tailgating other vehicles and weaving across lanes before officers moved in.
The pursuit ended minutes later when the car tried to take the Francisquito Avenue off-ramp and struck a concrete barrier, according to the agency.
CHP says officers spotted dangerous driving before the pursuit began
California Highway Patrol Lt. Saul Gomez said the encounter started after officers noticed the sedan speeding aggressively through traffic. The car was occupied by a driver and three passengers, all described by Gomez as being between 19 and 25 years old.
According to CHP, the driver’s speed and lane changes made the vehicle a traffic hazard before the pursuit escalated. The agency said the sedan was traveling west on the 10 Freeway when officers identified the dangerous driving behavior.
The chase continued only a short time before the driver tried to leave the freeway at Francisquito Avenue. CHP said the vehicle’s speed made it difficult for the driver to navigate the curved exit ramp.
Crash on the off-ramp struck a concrete barrier
Gomez said the sedan appeared unable to handle the curvature of the roadway as it entered the exit ramp. The car then slammed into a concrete barrier, ending the pursuit in a crash that left the vehicle badly damaged.
Authorities said the driver was pronounced dead at the scene. Emergency crews took the three passengers to hospitals after the wreck.
Two of those passengers later died, while the third survived but was listed in critical condition. Officials did not immediately release the names of the people who died.
Victims ranged from nineteen to twenty five years old
CHP said the people inside the sedan were young adults, with ages ranging from 19 to 25. The department has not yet said which occupant was the driver and which were passengers among the deceased.
That age range underscores how quickly the pursuit turned deadly after officers noticed the vehicle’s speed on the freeway. The agency has not said whether anyone else was involved or whether other vehicles were affected by the chase.
For now, the focus of the investigation remains on the moments before the sedan left the freeway and hit the barrier.
SigAlert closed traffic impacts by late morning
A SigAlert was issued after the crash as investigators and emergency crews responded to the scene. The alert affected traffic in the Baldwin Park area during the morning hours.
CHP said the SigAlert was canceled around noon Saturday, after the roadway impact had been addressed and the scene was cleared enough for normal travel to resume.
The crash added to the morning disruption on a busy stretch of the 10 Freeway corridor, where the pursuit began and where the fatal sequence unfolded.
Investigation continues into the fatal pursuit and collision
Authorities have not said what charges, if any, may follow the deadly chase. CHP also has not publicly identified the driver or passengers.
The investigation will likely focus on how the pursuit unfolded, how fast the sedan was traveling, and why the driver lost control while exiting the freeway. For now, officials have confirmed only the sequence that led from dangerous driving to a fatal crash.
The incident remains a stark reminder of how quickly high-speed driving can turn lethal, especially when a fleeing vehicle encounters a curve or barrier at freeway speeds.
