All lanes on the northbound I-5 in East LA reopened Saturday evening after an early morning crash in which a vehicle slammed into a cement pillar and caused construction material to fall on the car, killing one person and critically injuring another.
The driver, Jose Antonio Garcia, 34, of Compton, was traveling on the northbound 5 Freeway just north of Atlantic Boulevard around 2 a.m. when his red sedan crashed, causing construction material from an overpass to fall and smash the car. Garcia was killed in the wreck.
A source at the scene told NBC4 that it appears the car was in the gore point when it crashed into a pillar that was supporting overhead bridge construction. It is unclear why the car was in the gore point, but it appears the car may have been transitioning from one freeway to the other.
All lanes on the northbound 5 Freeway at Atlantic Boulevard as well as the northbound and southbound 710 Freeway transition roads were reopened by 8:15 p.m., according to CHP.
CHP said the structural integrity of the bridge had been "compromised."
The crash caused traffic on the northbound 5 Freeway to back up for miles (pictured below.) All vehicles were being diverted at the Atlantic Boulevard exit.
Officials said a male passenger was extricated and transported to the hospital with major injuries but was in stable condition.
