One killed in 16-vehicle crash on Rosecrans Avenue in Norwalk

NORWALK, CA – One driver was killed and at least one other person was injured early Tuesday in a chain-reaction crash that damaged 16 vehicles along Rosecrans Avenue, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. Deputies said suspected street racing was among the circumstances under investigation, but they had not announced a final cause.

The collision was reported about 12:52 a.m. near Longworth Avenue. Two vehicles were traveling east on Rosecrans when one rear-ended the other, Deputy Tracy Koerner told City News Service. Both vehicles rolled several times after the impact. The driver of one of them was ejected and died at the scene, the department said.

Authorities did not release the driver’s name pending identification and notification of relatives. The initial reports also did not identify the other motorists or describe the makes and models of the vehicles involved in the first impact.

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Crash damaged moving and parked vehicles

A third vehicle was traveling behind the first two and struck several parked cars after the initial collision, authorities said. Sheriff’s officials counted five moving vehicles and 11 parked vehicles among the 16 affected during the crash sequence. The early reports did not explain how the other moving vehicles became involved.

ABC7’s AIR7 footage showed at least four damaged cars scattered across Rosecrans Avenue, with parked vehicles also showing damage. The crash occurred on the stretch between Studebaker Road and Pioneer Boulevard. Deputies remained at the scene more than three hours after the first report and were still investigating at 3:55 a.m.

The initial accounts did not agree on how many people survived with injuries. Fox 11 said one driver was treated at the scene and did not go to a hospital. ABC7 reported three injured people, whose conditions were unavailable. The Sheriff’s Department had not reconciled those figures in the information published Tuesday morning.

Possible street racing remained under investigation

Sheriff’s officials said some of the eastbound vehicles were believed to have been racing before the impact. The department treated racing as a possible factor rather than a confirmed cause. Officials had not identified which drivers were involved or announced how fast the vehicles were traveling.

No arrests or citations had been reported by Tuesday morning. Officials also had not said whether drugs or alcohol were suspected. Deputies continued their work at a scene that included overturned vehicles and extensive damage to cars that had been parked along the avenue before the collision.

Deputies asked anyone with information about the crash to contact authorities. The Sheriff’s Department’s investigation remained open Tuesday, and officials had not released a timetable for publishing additional findings.