Van crash in San Bernardino County desert kills five, injures 11
Monday August 01, 2005
LUDLOW, Calif. (AP) A van carrying 16 people overturned on the shoulder of a desert highway early Monday, killing five and injuring 11, the California Highway Patrol said.
The driver of the Dodge van drifted into the center divider and made a hard right turn to get back on Highway 40, causing the vehicle to skid across two lanes and overturn several times, said CHP officer Todd Weichers.
The crash, which occurred around 5 a.m. about seven miles east of this San Bernardino County town, instantly killed the driver and four passengers. The van contained seats only for the driver and one passenger, Weichers said.
``No one else had seat belts or were properly secured,'' he said. ``No one except the driver had documentation, so I'm not sure if the victims were migrant farm laborers or illegal aliens.''
The driver's name was not immediately released pending notification of relatives, Weichers said.
Westbound lanes of the highway were temporarily shut down as four helicopters airlifted nine people to hospitals, the others were taken by ambulance.
Weichers said he did not know the extent of the victims' injuries.
There goes our auto insurance and medical insurance rates again...