A 19-year-old man driving a Honda Accord was arrested Tuesday on suspicion of driving under the influence after the car crashed into the back of a stopped big rig on the Santa Ana (5) Freeway, killing his two passengers.
California Highway Patrol officers responded at 1:35 a.m. to the southbound freeway and the Carmenita Road exit, where they found Landon Hazelwood and the victims, according to the California Highway Patrol.
The two victims were pronounced dead at the scene, CHP officials said.
One of them was identified by the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner as Lance Paul Erskine, 20, of Fountain Valley. Information was not immediately available on the identity of the other fatally injured person.
Hazelwood was taken to a hospital and arrested on suspicion of drunken driving, according to the CHP and reports from the scene.
Fox 11 reported the driver was arrested after he slammed into the back of a semi parked on the freeway shoulder.
The CHP issued a SigAlert that closed all lanes of the southbound freeway for several hours while it investigated the crash.