Many people recognize East Los Angeles as a dangerous place for an individual to spend his or her time. However, even residents of the neighborhood could not have anticipated the multi-car crash that sent flames soaring through the streets and killed three people and left two seriously injured. The disastrous wrecked occurred shortly after midnight when two cars were apparently racing side by side driving south on the I-5.
It was not a planned race, of course. The driver, Dealio Lockhart saw a vehicle moving slowly. When he attempted to maneuver around the slow vehicle, it changed lanes, seeming to obstruct his path to pass. It was at this point that Lockhart lost control of his vehicle and crashed in a UPS truck. The truck then crashed into the center median.
This led the truck to collide with a Nissan as it spun wildly through the streets. It then proceeded to hit a Ford Explorer. At this point, the UPS truck was aflame. Other drivers even reported that they were hit with flying debris that flew from the truck as they realized that they only slightly averted disaster.
As a result of the collision, three people were reported to have died. Two others were brought to the hospital. While they faced serious injuries, they survived the terrifying event.
Dealio Lockhart, the man who initiated this catastrophe, is said to be in police custody and will be charged with vehicular manslaughter. The police do report that Lockhart was not under the influence of any alcoholic beverages or drugs during the incident.
After the crash, the northbound and southbound sides of I-5 were closed for several hours as the emergency services transported casualties to the hospital and proceeded to clean up to the street to ensure that there were no remaining hazards.
