File photo of a CHP cruiser. Photo by Stephen Carr.
File photo of a CHP cruiser. Photo by Stephen Carr.

A multiple-vehicle crash that may have started with a stalled vehicle on the southbound 405 Freeway in Long Beach led to crashes on both sides of the freeway that caused several people to be injured, authorities said today.

It started about 11:50 p.m. Sunday on the southbound 405 Freeway north of Lakewood Boulevard, according to the California Highway Patrol.

Witnesses told the CHP a vehicle hit a stalled vehicle and another flew over the center divider into the northbound lanes. That reportedly led to more crashes on both sides of the freeway.

One person left a wrecked car and fled from the scene but the CHP reported that Long Beach police located and detained that person.

The CHP shut traffic on both sides of the freeway but reopened the northbound side at 12:47 a.m. and planned to reopen the southbound side shortly thereafter.