A wrong-way crash on the 10 Freeway in West Covina left one driver dead and another injured early Monday, officials said.
The California Highway Patrol began receiving calls about a wrong-way driver on the eastbound side of the freeway near Azusa Avenue around 3 a.m. A crash occurred shortly after, CHP Sgt. Karie Mendoza told KTLA.
According to investigators, a woman in a Mazda sedan was traveling in the wrong direction and crashed into a small SUV.
That woman was pronounced dead at the scene, while the male driver of the SUV was hospitalized after complaining of pain, Mendoza said.
Both drivers were alone in their vehicles, the sergeant added.
The driver who died in the crash was identified as 54-year-old Margarita Vargas, Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner-Coroner Investigator Rudy Molano said. Her city of residence was unclear.
Authorities shut down all four lanes at Citrus Avenue and reopened them around 5:30 a.m.
While authorities continued to investigate what caused the crash, they urged motorists to slow down due to the dense fog that blanketed Southern California roadways early Monday.
“Drive slowly please… It’s very hard to see out here, so be careful,” Mendoza said.
