The coroner’s office Sunday released the name of one of the two 20-year-old men killed in a chaotic five-vehicle crash on the Foothill (210) Freeway in Pasadena.
He was 20-year-old Tristan Witte of San Rafael, said acting coroner’s Lt. Brian Kim. The identity of the other man was not yet confirmed.
Witte was the driver of a 2004 red Buick and the other man was from Novato, the California Highway Patrol reported.
The crash occurred at 4:50 p.m. Friday on the eastbound Foothill Freeway, east of Sierra Madre Boulevard, according to the CHP. Traffic was backed up for miles throughout the evening rush hour, just before Caltrans was scheduled to shut down the other side of the freeway later Friday night for weekend repairs.
A white 2007 Nissan box truck driven by 45-year-old Gabriel Lopez of Corona struck a 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee, driven by 26-year-old Tyler Brubaker of Valencia, in the carpool lane. The Jeep was then pushed into the red Buick which was pushed into the center divider.
The Jeep then veered to the right into the No. 1 lane. The Nissan truck continued in an easterly direction and struck the Buick, which continued in a easterly direction and collided with a 2006 Chevrolet GMC driven by 55-year-old Reggie Pena of Perris.
“This impact caused the Buick to fold in half causing fatal injuries to the driver and passenger of the Buick,” the CHP said.
The box truck pushed the Buick and Chevy eastward causing the Chevrolet to roll over on its right side, according to the CHP.
The Jeep was then broadsided by a 2015 silver Hyundai driven by 36-year- old Meredith Lee of Ventura.
The motorists in the Nissan box truck and Jeep Grand Cherokee suffered minor injuries and were transported to Huntington Memorial Hospital, the CHP reported.
— City News Service