Current Event 2

ABC7 Traffic Center
5 Freeway crash kills 3, injures 2
Friday, May 16, 2008







COMMERCE (KABC) -- Traffic was back to normal on the southbound 5 Freeway after being shut down for more than three hours Friday morning because of a head-on collision in Commerce at the Slauson exit.
A wrong-way driver slammed into an oncoming car full of teens, killing three people including himself and critically injured two others. The wrong-way crash happened Friday just after 3 a.m.
Click in the Eyewitness News Story Window above to watch Leanne Suter's report from the scene.
"Just scared to think of that. It is not suppose to happen that way. It just seems to young," said Brent Hellesen, a neighbor of one of the victim's.
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The CHP says that 27-year-old Steven Quintero was driving northbound in the southbound I-5 lanes. He slammed head-on into a silver Nissan Sentra carrying four people and died at the scene.
The impact of the collision was so powerful that 20-year-old Arielle Estremo, driver of the Sentra, was crushed to death, and passenger 20-year-old Chauncy Reid was also killed instantly.
Two male passengers, ages 18 and 19, in the Sentra were seriously injured and were rushed to Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center.
Investigators say several friends of the victims witnessed the crash as they were following behind the vehicle. The whole group had just left a club in Hollywood and was apparently returning home to Orange County when the Sentra slammed head-on into the wrong-way driver.
"They saw the headlights and the Nissan Sentra applied their brakes. They saw them veer over to the right and both cars went up in the air. That is what she said as she went past," said CHP Sgt. Brian Gonsalves.
Investigators do not know where Quintero entered the freeway going the wrong way or why. Officials are waiting on toxicology tests to determine if drugs or alcohol may have been a factor.
Friends say that the four in the Sentra were all part of a close group that worked together at Knott's Berry Farm's Halloween Haunt.
"I never thought that would happen to any of my friends. I feel bad for saying this, but I feel lucky that I wasn't in the car. And our friend Jackie could of gone last night to, but she said no," said Chelsa Mullins, one of the victim's friends.
The witnesses rushed to help their friends. CHP officers, who were close by at the time, heard the crash and also rushed up onto the freeway to help the victims.
The southbound 5 Freeway through Commerce was closed for more than three hours as morning traffic continued to pile on to the freeway. The scene was cleared and all lanes re-opened at about 6:40 a.m. on Friday.








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3 Dead In Wrong-Way CrashKTLA= News May 16, 2008, 1:19 PM PDT COMMERCE --


Three people were killed on Interstate 5 south of downtown Los Angeles Friday morning af


ter a motorist driving the wrong way crashed head-on into another vehicle.California Highway Patrol Officer Patrick Kimball says the driver of a Toyota sedan was heading north on southbound lanes of the freeway when he slammed into a packed Nissan sedan. Witnesses say both cars flew into the air.Authorities say 27-year-old Steven Quintero of Gardena was killed as were two women in the other car. CHP and coroner's officials have identified them as 20-year-old Arielle Estremo and 17-year-old Chauncy Reid, both of Anaheim.Two male passengers in the Nissan suffered major to moderate injuries and were rushed to the hospital. They are expected to survive.Investigators say the two men and two women were returning home from a night club in Hollywood when the Toyota appeared in their lane. An attempt to get around the vehicle was not successful and both drivers were crushed instantly.The CHP closed all southbound lanes at Slauson Avenue in the City of Commerce from 3:10 a.m. to 6:40 a.m. backing up traffic at the start of the morning commuter rush.Investigators did not find any obvious signs of drugs or alcohal in either of the vehicles. The crash remains under investigation.



One of my good friends, Arielle Estremo as the one who died on Friday :(
I inserted the pictures on the top. I don't haave alot to say, personally, I think that crash speaks volumes amongst us. I am angry and hurt and mourning her death. I hate the man who did this to her. :(