Three people were killed and another was hospitalized after a violent multi-vehicle crash in South Gate early Sunday morning involving a vehicle that was fleeing law enforcement after a catalytic converter theft.
The collision occurred just after 2 a.m. on State Street at Tweedy Blvd., and involved a vehicle that was being pursued by police.
Video from the scene showed at least four vehicles sustained major damage. Car parts and debris were scattered across the road.
State Street was closed for several hours as authorities investigated the cause of the crash and cleared the wreckage.
Two people were declared dead at the scene, and the third was pronounced dead after arriving at the hospital.
A husband and wife, identified by their son as Flavio Ariel Balderas and Micaela Balderas, were among the victims.
The third victim was identified as 20-year-old James Griffin III by his mother Tawan McCray.
The condition of the fourth person is unclear at this time.
Police say occupants of both vehicles were among those killed.
By Sunday night, a small memorial to the victims was growing at the intersection where the crash occurred. Family and friends gathered with candles to mourn their loved ones.
The crash comes just days after two innocent bystanders were killed after the driver of a stolen truck that was being pursued by police crashed in Panorama City.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department is reviewing the pursuit to determine whether or not the chase was within department policy, police told KTLA.
A Grand Jury report from 2017 found that police pursuits in Los Angeles County have historically caused “unnecessary bystander injuries and deaths,” the Times reports.
