Leonard Rarick Killed in Castaic Crash on 5 Freeway near Templin Highway
Castaic, California (June 27, 2022) – Leonard Rarick, 81, of San Diego, has been identified as the man killed in a multi-vehicle collision near Castaic on Saturday morning, according to the Los Angeles County Coroner's Office.
The incident took place at about 9:30 a.m. on June 25, on the northbound 5 Freeway near Templin Highway.
According to the report, a Ford-350 pulling a trailer south on the freeway collided with an object on the road.
This caused a wheel to come off the Ford and it rolled into the No. 1 lane, where it was hit by a Ford Escape.
The wheel drifted across the center-divide wall and into the northbound side, where it collided with a Toyota Avalon
The Toyota then crashed with a Honda Accord.
The driver of the Toyota, later identified as Rarick, died at the scene of the crash.
A passenger in Rarick's vehicle was flown to Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital for treatment of minor injuries.
The operator of the Honda Accord suffered minor injuries but declined to be taken to hospital.
The CHP is handling the investigation.
Original Story
Castaic, California (June 25, 2022) – One person died, and another was airlifted to the hospital after a two-vehicle crash that happened Saturday morning in Castaic, the California Highway Patrol reported.
The wreck occurred at around 9:33 a.m. on northbound 5 Freeway near Templin Highway.
According to CHP, two vehicles collided under unclear circumstances. One of the cars was occupied by at least three passengers.
One person was pronounced dead at the scene.
Another person sustained severe injuries in the crash. An air ambulance was dispatched to the scene to airlift the patient to the hospital. The freeway was shut down to allow the helicopter to land.
CHP did not mention the cause and manner of the crash, but they are investigating.
Crash Fatalities in California Went Up in 2021, Early Federal Estimates Show
Newly released estimates by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) show that fatalities caused by traffic crashes on U.S. freeways reached a 16-year high in 2021. The crash deaths also increased in almost every state, including California, according to NHTSA.
According to the Early Estimate of Motor Vehicle Traffic Fatalities in 2021 report released by NHTSA, about 42,915 people were killed in traffic collisions in 2021 in the US. This shows a 10.5% increase from the 38,828 fatalities reported in 2020.
NHTSA says the projection is the highest number of traffic deaths since 2005 as well as the largest percentage rise in the history of the Fatality Analysis Reporting System.
In California, 4,258 people died in traffic collisions in 2021 – a 10.7% increase from 2020's 3,847, as per the NHTSA report titled – “Crash Stats: Early Estimate of Motor Vehicle Traffic Fatalities in 2021.”
According to the traffic deaths estimates, in the two-state region that includes Arizona and California, crash fatalities in 2021 are projected to go up by 10% over the previous year.
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