One killed in fiery 10 Freeway crash; Palms lanes closed 6 hours

A two-car crash that set a Toyota Prius ablaze killed one person and sent two others to the hospital Monday evening on the eastbound 10 Freeway in Los Angeles, shutting all lanes west of Robertson Boulevard for nearly six hours, the Los Angeles Fire Department said.

The incident snarled traffic for miles along a freeway that serves as a key artery between Orange County and central Los Angeles, forcing drivers to exit at Robertson Boulevard during the Monday evening commute.

The crash occurred shortly after 7 p.m. in the Palms neighborhood on the west side of Los Angeles, according to ABC7 Los Angeles. One of the two vehicles involved — a Toyota Prius — became fully engulfed in flames on the freeway. Aerial footage captured the charred wreckage on the eastbound lanes, with heavy traffic backed up behind the scene.

One person was pronounced dead at the scene, the Los Angeles Fire Department said. A second victim was transported to a hospital in critical condition. A third patient was detained at the scene by bystanders before being taken to a hospital; that person's condition was not immediately disclosed.

All eastbound lanes west of Robertson Boulevard were closed following the collision, with drivers diverted off the freeway at that interchange. The closure remained in effect for nearly six hours before lanes fully reopened at approximately 1 a.m. Tuesday, ABC7 Los Angeles reported.

The cause of the crash remained unclear and under investigation as of Tuesday morning.

The cause of the crash remained under investigation Tuesday morning. The 10 Freeway is a primary commuter corridor used daily by drivers traveling between Orange County and downtown Los Angeles.