Fatal Hit-and-Run Crash Temporarily Shuts Down Southbound 605 Freeway in Santa Fe Springs

All lanes of the southbound 605 Freeway in Santa Fe Springs were reopened after a fiery hit-and-run crash involving multiple vehicles killed a man early Tuesday morning, authorities said.

The crash occurred just after 3:44 a.m. on the southbound 605 Freeway near the Telegraph Road exit north of the 5 Freeway, according to the California Highway Patrol. Seven cars were involved in the crash.

A car rear ended a Nissan Stanza which caused the Stanza to spin out and hit the center divider before it stopped in the carpool lane, according to the CHP. Then a Ford Fusion struck the Stanza causing both cars to spin out before the Fusion caught fire. 

A pickup truck struck the Stanza again before another Nissan crashed into the pickup truck.

The driver of the Stanza, a man between 40 to 50 years old, died at the location of the crash, CHP said. His car also caught fire. 

The driver of the Fusion was seriously injured, and was taken into surgery Tuesday morning. Some of those injuries may be burn injuries, CHP noted. Two other people were hospitalized after the crash.

One of the drivers involved said he heard a crash before the Stanza struck the center divider, which prompted CHP to classify the collision as a hit-and-run.

Southbound lanes of the 605 Freeway were closed for five hours while officials helped injured drivers and cleared wreckage from the crash. 

The freeway was reopened around 8:30 Tuesday morning. 

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