1 killed, 6 hurt in crash in South Whittier

An 18-year-old Winchester man died and six others suffered major injuries when an Audi collided with a Corolla then crashed into a traffic pole in South Whittier on Wednesday night, Nov. 11, authorities said.

It doesn’t appear anyone in the Audi was wearing a seatbelt, said Officer Marcos Iniguez, a California Highway Patrol spokesman.

The CHP is investigating the possibility that the Audi was previously at a so-called street takeover, when one or more vehicles ignores traffic laws and circles in an intersection, often doing doughnuts.

The Toyota Corolla, was going south on Carmenita Road, trying to make a left onto Imperial Highway, when the 10:35 p.m. collision occurred. The Audi S5 was headed north on Carmenita and entered the intersection on a red light, the officer said.

The Audi was going over the speed limit, he said, but it was unclear at this time by how much.

“The Audi’s passenger side hit a traffic signal pole on the northeast corner causing fatal injuries to the front passenger,” Iniguez said.

The coroner had not yet publicly identified the man.

The 21-year-old Temecula man driving the Audi suffered major injuries as well as the rest of his passengers: a 14-year-old Wildomar girl, a 16-year-old Murrieta boy, a 17-year-old Murrieta girl, a 19-year-old Murrieta woman, and a 20-year-old Murrieta woman, Iniguez said. All were hospitalized.

The Corolla’s driver, a 30-year-old La Mirada, didn’t appear to be injured, he said.

CHP officers had not made an arrest yet.