Fatal Crash on 57 Freeway Kills Three Women

[UPDATE] Although the names of the three women who died in a fiery accident on the 57 southbound freeway early Monday morning have not yet been released, details have emerged on what may have caused the accident.

According to CHP Officer Rodrigo Jimenez, the driver of the Nissan pickup truck slowed to 5 mph in the slow lane, apparently of a damaged right tire. However, the vehicle carrying the driver and three women continued in the right slow lane.

The driver of a tractor-trailer rear-ended the pickup at 55 m.p.h., causing the pickup to burst into flames.

While the drivers of the pickup and the tractor-trailer were both able to walk away from the scene, their conditions were not immediately known.

The three women killed in the accident ranged from 47 to 62 years old. All three were pronounced dead at the scene.

According to Los Angeles County coroner's office spokeswoman Cheryl MacWillie, all three bodies were so badly burned she said it may take days to positively identify them.

[UPDATE] CHP reports that the Nissan pickup involved in a fiery crash on the 57 southbound freeway had been driving 5 mph in the slow lane before it was hit from behind by a big righ truck early Monday morning. The crash killed three women in the pickup truck. The drivers of the Nissan and the big rig escaped the crash unharmed.

According to statements made to CHP, the driver of the pickup had been driving slowly before the crash because of a flat tire.

[UPDATE] A pickup truck carrying four people collided with a big rig on the 57 southbound freeway in Glendora just before 3 a.m. Monday. Three women were killed in the accident, but the driver of the pickup and the big rig truck both survived, said Los Angeles County Fire Department Inspector Don Kunitomi. Their condition was not immediately known.

The freeway in both directions and two transition roads were closed for four hours during the investigation. All closures were cleared as of 7:10 a.m.

The names of the victims have not been released.

Original Report: A fatal accident on the 57 southbound freeway in Glendora killed three women as their vehicle collided with a tractor-trailer and burst into flames.

The accident occurred at 2:47 a.m. Monday morning on the 57 southbound freeway at Auto Center Drive., according to California Highway Patrol Officer Krystal Carter.

The CHP closed all lanes of the 57 south freeway, as well as transitions from the eastbound and westbound 210 freeway to clear debris and conduct an investigation, Carter said. The closed lanes has created a traffic mess on San Gabriel Valley freeways east of Los Angeles.

By 5:40 a.m., investigators were still at the scene. The cause of the crash is still under investigation.

City News Service contributed to this report.