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Five people were killed and one person was injured in a fiery crash involving one car on the 5 freeway in Burbank early this morning.
The crash happened around 4:20 a.m. on the southbound side of the freeway, firefighters told City News Service. Burbank police Sgt. Darin Ryburn told CNS, "It's a horrific scene. It's just, it's just, it's a tragedy."
The Nissan spun out after hitting a guard rail and burst into flames, according to the Associated Press. An 18-year-old woman was able to escape the wreckage, but the others were trapped in the burning car. It was too late for them by the time firefighters arrived on the scene. The woman had a broken leg and was transported to a hospital in serious condition. Reuters reported that she was coherent at the scene.
Speed was likely the culprit, investigators say. The crash happened in a curving section of an underpass where the old state highway 99 used to curve from one side of the railroad tracks to another, CNS reports. The Associated Press notes that this area has been prone to accidents in the past; freeway speeds are quickly reduced because of nearby homes.
The Scott Road off-ramp was closed while authorities investigated.
