Fiery five-vehicle collision leaves one dead, several injured in North Hills

A person was killed Friday in a fiery five-vehicle crash on the southbound San Diego (405) Freeway in the North Hills area, authorities said.

Paramedics sent to the freeway near Devonshire Street at 7:35 a.m. pronounced the person dead at the scene, said Eric French of the Los Angeles Fire Department.

An injured person was treated at the scene and released; two other people described as “patients” left the scene on their own; and an injured person was taken to a hospital for treatment, French said.

The person who was taken to the hospital was treated for “minor to moderate” injuries, California Highway Patrol Officer Leland Tang said.

The fatally injured person was described only as a female, coroner’s Assistant Chief Ed Winter said. Her name was withheld, pending notification of her relatives.

Tang said five vehicles were involved in a chain-reaction crash, and three of them caught fire. According to reports from the scene, those vehicles were two pickups and a car.

The carpool lane was blocked — along with 1, 2 and 3 lanes — while an investigation was conducted. The crash may have occurred because motorists braked suddenly for stopped traffic, Tang said. All lanes were reopened about 1:15 p.m., CHP Officer Patrick Kimball said.

—City News Service