South Bay : Coroner’s Office Using Dental Records to Identify 5 Crash Victims

The Los Angeles County coroner’s office said Tuesday it is using dental records to identify the badly burned bodies of five people killed when their car stalled and was hit by another car in the fast lane of the Artesia Freeway in Carson. Coroner’s spokesman Scott Carrier said the bodies probably will not be identified until next week.

A 1971 Ford Mustang, with no hazard lights on, was stopped in the fast lane at 6:40 p.m. Saturday when a 1996 Jeep Cherokee driven by 58-year-old Giuliano Crescentini of San Pedro plowed into the car, said California Highway Patrol spokesman Todd Sturges.

“We think originally there were six people in the car,” Sturges said. “But we’re speculating that one person was standing outside the car.” The car was thrown 500 feet into the far right lane and exploded into flames.

Five people died at the scene, Sturges said. The sixth person standing by the car was badly burned and taken to Harbor/UCLA Medical Center in Torrance. He was transferred to County-USC Medical Center in Los Angeles, where he died Sunday at 2:35 p.m. The coroner’s department still has not identified him.

Crescentini, who was wearing a seat belt, was treated for a cut forehead at Harbor/UCLA Medical Center and released, Sturges said. No arrests have been made.