Drunk driver suspected in 60 Fwy. crash that killed 6 in Diamond Bar

Feb. 09--A suspected drunk driver traveling in the wrong direction on the 60 Freeway in Diamond Bar is being blamed for a crash early Sunday that left six people dead and the driver in critical condition, authorities said.

The unidentified female driver was heading eastbound on the westbound 60 Freeway about 4:40 a.m. when her car collided with two other vehicles, authorities said.

Investigators "believe from what they found in the vehicle that alcohol was involved," said Lt. Fred Corral of the Los Angeles County coroner's office. Authorities will request that blood tests be conducted.

Four of the dead victims were adult females and two were adult males, Corral said.

Four people were pronounced dead at the scene, and two people transported to UCI Medical Center later died, authorities said. The suspect was transported to Los Angeles County/USC Medical Center and remains in serious condition.

One person also was transported to a local hospital for minor injuries, said Melanie Flores of the Los Angeles County Fire Department. People in all three of the involved vehicles were injured, said California Highway Patrol Officer Jennifer Cassidy.

The suspected drunk driver also had been traveling northbound on the southbound 57 Freeway before moving to the 60 Freeway, Cassidy said. She had no further descriptions of the people involved and no additional information on the accident.

A SigAlert was issued at the north Diamond Bar Boulevard exit of the 60 Freeway just before 5 a.m., according to CHP traffic logs. All lanes of the 60 Freeway have been closed between 71 Freeway interchange and the site of the accident, more than a mile west, Cassidy said. Ramps in the area have also been closed.

matt.stevens@latimes.co

samantha.schaefer@latimes.com

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