Three men were shot inside a car on an onramp to the Pomona Freeway in the City of Industry, at the Hacienda Heights border, and might have been involved in a subsequent car crash at the same location, authorities said Saturday.
The shooting took place at 11:55 p.m. Friday, on the Azusa onramp to the westbound 60 Freeway, according to sheriff’s Sgt. D. Cortinas. The car crash into the center divider at the same location happened about a minute later, according to California Highway Patrol Officer Patrick Kimball.
Four men had left a local restaurant in the 1600 block of South Azusa Avenue and as they drove northbound on Azusa onto the westbound Pomona (60) Freeway onramp, a white Range Rover drove alongside them, said Deputy Lisa Jansen of the Sheriff’s Information Bureau.
One of the people inside the Range Rover began shooting at the victims’ vehicle, Jansen said, striking the driver and two passengers. The victims’ vehicle came to a rest in the westbound carpool lanes.
The 23-year-old driver was listed in critical condition and his two passengers seated in the rear — both 24 years old — suffered non-life threatening injuries, she said.
The Industry sheriff’s station was handling the shooting and the CHP was handling the investigation into the crash. If it turns out they are related, which is likely, the sheriff’s department will take the lead in both investigations, according to Kimball.
The shooting and subsequent crash shut down the onramp and offramp on the 60 Freeway at Azusa Avenue, as well as all westbound lanes at that location, Kimball said.
A SigAlert was declared by the CHP at 12:35 a.m. The freeway’s westbound lanes were re-opened at 7:21 a.m. and the on- and offramps were re-opened at 8:32 a.m., according to CHP Officer Tony Polizzi.
—City News Service