Driver Suspected of DUI in Deadly Winnetka Crash

One person was killed and three others were injured in Winnetka Thursday in a three-vehicle collision in which one of the drivers was believed to be under the influence of alcohol or drugs, police said.

The crash was reported at 2:09 a.m. in the area of Roscoe Boulevard and Irondale Avenue, according to the Los Angeles Police Department's Valley Traffic Bureau.

"I thought somebody was hitting the brick wall with their cars," said Donald Parmar, who heard and saw the aftermath of the crash. "It was so loud."

The male driver of a speeding Dodge Challenger sideswiped a Subaru before colliding with a Ford Escape, sending that vehicle into a tree, according to police and reports from the scene. The Dodge continued on Roscoe and caught fire with its occupants trapped inside.

The driver of the Ford -- a woman in her 40s -- was pronounced dead at the scene, police said. The occupants of the Dodge were extricated by Los Angeles City firefighters and transported to a hospital. Two had serious injuries and one was in grave condition, according to police. The driver of the Subaru was not injured.

"It's the worst thing I've ever seen as far as accidents," Parmar said. "I've never seen anything like this before."

The driver of the Dodge was believed to be under the influence of alcohol or drugs, police said. How fast the car was going and how impaired the driver may have been at the time of the crash were under investigation.