3am crash kills 3 motorcyclists..blocks freeway for 7 hours
https://www.ocregister.com/2024/06/27/south-i-5-near-camp-pendleton-closed-after-chain-reaction-crash-leaves-3-dead-5-injured/
Three motorcyclists were killed and five people were injured in a chain-reaction crash on the south 5 Freeway near Camp Pendleton early Thursday that prompted an hours-long freeway closure, snarling traffic on several Southern California freeways, officials said.
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The crash occurred when a driver in a Jeep Wrangler heading south veered off the freeway for an unknown reason and slammed into the guardrail just south of Las Pulgas, said CHP Officer Hunter Gerber. The disabled vehicle then came back into the southbound lanes where it was struck by a Mercedes-Benz Sprinter van that then overturned, Gerber said.
Gerber said four motorcyclists riding together as a group, possibly riding two abreast, came upon the crash site and ran into one or both of the vehicles. Two motorcycles caught fire after impact, he said.
The crash created a large debris field that included spilled oil and pieces of the motorcycles. The Jeep was blocking two inside lanes as was the overturned Mercedes.
The three men confirmed dead in the crash were all on motorcycles. The fourth rider suffered serious injuries and was transported by ambulance to a hospital.