A 52-year-old man died in a multivehicle crash that triggered an hourslong shutdown of the southbound 605 Freeway in Norwalk early Tuesday, officials said.
The collision, which also left another person seriously hurt, happened at around 3 a.m. on the No. 5 southbound lane south of Alondra Boulevard, according to California Highway Patrol.
A construction zone in the area caused a slowdown, CHP said. When the driver of a 2010 Kia Soul approached stopped traffic, he failed to decelerate and slammed into the back of a 1995 Toyota Camry, according to investigators.
That impact caused the Toyota to hit the 2018 Freightliner truck in front of it, CHP said.
The driver of the Kia, who apparently was not wearing a seatbelt during the crash, died at the scene, authorities said. CHP described him as a 52-year-old Cerritos man. His name is being withheld until next of kin could be notified.
The Toyota driver, 68-year-old Manuel Guerrero of La Puente, suffered serious injuries and was taken to a hospital, CHP said.
The driver of the big rig, identified as 57-year-old Ki Ho Baek of La Puente, did not sustain any injuries.
Authorities closed the right three lanes of the freeway for about 4 1/2 hours to investigate the incident and clean up the scene, according to CHP.
Video from the site showed a heavily damaged red sedan disabled across two lanes, facing the side of the big rig.
The busy freeway fully reopened at around 7:30 a.m.
Investigators do not suspect that alcohol or drugs were a factor in the crash.
Anyone with information can call Officer M. Dulong at 562-868-0503.