Car Accident Kills Minivan Driver in 10 Freeway in El Monte

A motorist was killed Tuesday when the minivan he was driving slammed into a sign-control truck in a construction zone on the San Bernardino (10) Freeway in El Monte., authorities said.

Two other people suffered injuries in the 4:08 a.m. crash on the westbound 10 just east of Peck Road, California Highway Patrol Officer Patrick Kimball said.

The man was declared dead at the scene, said county fire dispatcher Andre Gougis. CHP Officer Ed Jacobs said the fatally injured man was driving a minivan that crashed into the sign-control truck.

The crash closed all but one lane of the westbound side of the freeway and backed up traffic for several miles.

The man killed was in his late 20s, but his name was not immediately available.

Early Sunday, a roughly 3:35 a.m. collision between two alleged drunken drivers sent a vehicle out of control and into a construction zone, killing two members of a construction crew.

The workers were identified as Ramon Lopez, 56, of Chino Hills and Ricardo Zamora, 58, of Winchester in Riverside County. Both worked for Caltrans contractor.

CHP officers said a blue Ford Explorer driven by Yocio Jonathan Gomez, 33, of Norwalk, smashed into the rear of a black Lexus RX-350 SUV driven by Stephan Christopher Caserta, 43, of Playa Vista, Conley said.