Infant Killed in Crash on Harbor Freeway

A baby boy strapped into an infant seat became the first person killed in an accident on the elevated section of the Harbor Freeway, after the sedan the child was riding in was struck from behind by a pickup truck Wednesday, the California Highway Patrol said.

The female driver of the car and two other child passengers were critically injured and a fourth child suffered lesser injuries, the CHP said. The driver of the pickup truck, identified as Jose Orellana, 27, of North Hollywood, and a passenger were not injured.

The accident occurred about 12:40 p.m., when a Nissan Sentra and Orellana’s pickup truck were traveling north in the No. 2 lane on the elevated section of the Harbor Freeway, just south of Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, the CHP said.

Both vehicles were traveling about 60 mph when the Nissan suddenly slowed, authorities said.

Orellana apparently swerved to avoid hitting the slowing car but struck its left rear.

The accident ripped the roof off the Nissan, which a CHP officer said may have flipped after hitting a freeway retaining wall.

The baby, who was described as less then a year old, died at the scene, the CHP said.

Two other children, a 6-year-old girl with moderate injuries and a 4-year-old boy with major injuries, were taken to Martin Luther King Jr./Drew Medical Center. The critically injured driver was taken to County-USC Medical Center along with an 8-year-old boy in stable condition.

The identities of the victims were not immediately released. Authorities said they had not yet determined the relationship of the driver to the children.

The accident closed the elevated stretch of the road in both directions for several hours, the CHP said. An investigation is continuing.