A violent crash left one person dead and prompted the closure of the southbound 710 Freeway through South Gate Thursday morning.
The crash occurred around 1:10 a.m. near Imperial Highway and initially involved two vehicles, a California Highway Patrol officer at the scene confirmed.
Both vehicles came to a stop against the center divider and sustained significant damage.
An unidentified woman was found unconscious and not breathing when officers arrived at the scene, the officer said.
Investigators are trying to determine if the woman had been ejected from her vehicle or got out before being struck by another car.
She was pronounced dead at the scene.
The driver of the other vehicle involved in the initial crash was not injured and was questioned by investigators.
At least two other cars that were involved in the incident after the initial crash were part of the investigation.
The crash caused an hourslong closure on the southbound side of the freeway.
The lanes were reopened around 5 a.m.