3 Killed, 11 Hurt When Car, Van Collide in Valley

Three people died and 11 others were injured Saturday in Winnetka, apparently when a car ran a red light and smashed into a crowded van of family and friends on their way to a wedding, police said.

Two young women and a 5-year-old girl were pronounced dead at the scene, the intersection of Saticoy Street and Mason Avenue, police said. The 11 people transported to various hospitals included the 55-year-old woman driving the car and 10 people from the van, authorities said. Two children, ages 4 and 2, were airlifted to Childrens Hospital in serious condition, and a 1-year-old girl was hospitalized in extremely critical condition.

Police did not release the victims’ names, pending notification of relatives.

Neither driver was cited Saturday, as police continued to investigate the cause of the crash.

Witnesses said they watched in horror as the force of the collision ejected several of the van’s occupants when it careened into a street light and then flipped over.

“The van just rolled and rolled and people flew everywhere,” said Tahl Beckman, 26, who was driving home when the accident occurred just after 2 p.m.

At Northridge Hospital Medical Center, Adan Martinez of Reseda waited for news about his wife and children and said they had been on their way to a friend’s wedding when the accident occurred.

Martinez said the van’s occupants included his wife, who was driving; his two daughters, his his grandmother, two sisters-in-law and cousins.

The van was packed with as many as 13 people although it was a “seven-seater,” said Sgt. John Amott of the Los Angeles Police Department, who was on the scene. Most of the vehicle’s occupants were not wearing seat belts, he added.

“You pack everyone in a van like that and it’s an invitation for disaster,” commented Amott, who said a white Toyota had run the light.

Several motorists who witnessed the accident jumped from their cars and ran to assist the injured, who lay scattered on the street.

“We tried to help the little kids,” Rick Lombard said. “The one that died . . . we tried to get . . . to breathe again; she started breathing and then the paramedics got there and she stopped again.

“It was incredible,” he added. “We didn’t even hear any brakes.

Neighbors and police said the corner is the site of frequent collisions.

“There are always people speeding and running through the red lights here,” Amott said. “It’s a wide-open street and when you’re going 60 m.p.h., you’re not even aware of the speed.”

Times staff writer Abigail Goldman contributed to this story.