One Killed, Three Severely Injured in Crash on 710 Freeway

LONG BEACH (CNS) - One person was killed and at least three people are in the hospital Tuesday with major injuries sustained in a fiery crash following a police pursuit of a stolen car on the Long Beach (710) Freeway in Long Beach.

Long Beach Police Department officers were chasing a stolen Kia Optima around Monday near the northbound freeway and Anaheim Street around 10:28 p.m. Monday, KNBC4 reported. During the pursuit, the Kia slammed into a big rig, igniting a blaze inside the Kia.

Video footage at the scene showed LBPD officers dragging several people from the burning Kia and attempting to douse the flames with fire extinguishers before the arrival of Long Beach Fire Department personnel. Firefighters then knocked down the fire in the burning Kia, California Highway Patrol Officer Erik Larsen told City News Service.

Larsen said one person died in the crash and several victims were taken to a hospital. The LBPD will be investigating any possible criminal charges related to the crash and the CHP will handle the traffic portion of the investigation, he added.

All lanes of the northbound freeway were closed for several hours while police conducted their investigation of the crash and looked for evidence related to the crash.