A man was killed Saturday when an encounter with another vehicle caused his black Ford Mustang to go off the Ventura (101) Freeway, hit a pole and burst into flames.
The crash was reported to the California Highway Patrol at 3:06 p.m. Saturday on the northbound 101 at Chesebro Road.
Witnesses told the CHP that good Samaritans tried to use dirt to put out the flames and worked to pull the man out of the car, which was split in half.
The man was pronounced dead at the scene.
Racing may have been a factor in the crash, according to witness accounts. It was unclear if authorities were looking for any other possibly involved vehicles.
The CHP issued a SigAlert at 3:30 p.m., shutting down the No. lane of the northbound freeway and the Chesebro Road off-ramp. The lane and ramp were reopened about 7:35 p.m.