Tuesday, March 17, 2015

3 KILLED AFTER MERCEDES-BENZ SPLITS IN HALF FOLLOWING EXTREMELY HIGH SPEED HEAD-ON CRASH ON PCH









MARCH 17, 2015

VENTURA, CALIFORNIA

Three people were killed after a Mercedes-Benz traveling at a high-rate of speed crashed head-on into a Honda and spit in half on the Pacific Coast Highway in Ventura early Tuesday, according to the California Highway Patrol.

Three people were killed in a multi-vehicle car crash on PCH near Point Mugu State Park on March 17, 2015. (Credit: KTLA)

The violent crash occurred shortly after midnight just south of Mugu Rock, Ventura CHP Sgt. David Hong said.

Witnesses told CHP that a black Mercedes was speeding down the highway in a northerly direction when it lost control near La Jolla Canyon Road, according to Hong.

The vehicle then began spinning in a counter-clockwise direction and collided head-on with a Honda that was headed in the opposite direction.

“The Mercedes was cut in half,” Hong said. “The front end was spun around. The rear end went toward the rocks toward the ocean. And the driver was partially ejected.”

Three male occupants in the two cars — the driver in the Mercedes and a driver and passenger in the Honda — were pronounced dead at the scene. Their names have not been released.

According to Hong, investigators initially did not realize that the Mercedes had split in two and believed a third-vehicle was involved.

Hours after the crash, the mangled wreckage of the Mercedes and the Honda remained on the highway, which was completely shut down for nearly two hours while CHP investigated the crash.

The northbound lanes were reopened around 1:45 a.m., according to the log. By 4 a.m., all lanes were open again.

The cause of the crash remained under investigation, but according to witness accounts, extremely high speed by the Mercedes driver (now dead-his estate will pay for damages) is the main factor of this tragedy.