LODI, Calif. – A multicar crash at a busy intersection left four people dead, including a child and a pregnant woman, authorities said. At least 12 people were injured in the crash Tuesday in Northern California.
Police were still investigating how the collision occurred. Witnesses reported seeing an SUV speeding, with the driver on a cellphone, just before the five-vehicle collision around 5:30 p.m. in Lodi.
Erin Andrews told KCRA-TV she was in traffic near the scene of the crash when she spotted the SUV swerving around cars at high speeds.
Another witness, Westley Ruyle, told the station the driver almost hit a few vehicles before the crash. He said he called 911 after seeing a "huge dust cloud."
"I approach and see this big old pile of mess, children laying out in the street, on the curb and bodies everywhere and vehicles totally messed up," he said.
Shattered glass, metal shards and chunks of bumpers were scattered across the roadway, the Lodi News-Sentinel reported. Emergency workers spread powder on the street to absorb oil, gasoline and blood.
Lodi police Det. Eric Bradley said children were among the injured. He did not know the extent of the injuries, but said three of the victims were in surgery late Tuesday.
Lodi, a city of more than 60,000 people, is about 35 miles south of Sacramento.
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