2 Killed, 3 Seriously Injured in Woodland Hills Crash

Two people were killed and three others were critically injured Saturday night when a speeding car went out of control and collided with a pickup truck in Woodland Hills, authorities said.

The man and woman in the car, who police said appeared to be between 25 and 30 years old, died instantly when the vehicle struck the pickup near the intersection of De Soto Avenue and Erwin Street about 9 p.m. and became wedged beneath it. A Fire Department spokesman said the man, who was driving, was thrown from the car while the woman was crushed in the wreckage. Neither of the victims were identified.

“It was a truly, truly awful collision,” said Los Angeles City Fire Department spokesman Brian Humphrey. “Firefighters at the scene have trouble coming up with appropriate words to express the amount of carnage and destruction that occurred.”

The unidentified driver of the pickup and his two passengers all sustained serious injuries, Humphrey said. The driver was taken to Kaiser Permanente Medical Center in Woodland Hills, where he was in serious but stable condition, a hospital spokeswoman said.

His passengers, a woman and 2-year-old boy who police said were critically injured, were flown by helicopter to UCLA Medical Center. The child suffered head and internal injuries and a fractured leg, Humphrey said.

Police Sgt. John Amott said the car, traveling south on De Soto at an estimated speed of 80 m.p.h., went out of control and veered into the northbound lane, where it collided with the pickup.

William Noel of Canyon Country, who witnessed the crash, said it appeared the car, a Porsche, was drag racing with three other sports cars when it went out of control. It was uncertain if the other cars left the scene.

Another witness, Brian Fagan, said he heard but did not see the collision. “I thought it was a gunshot,” he said.