Investigators for the California Highway Patrol are looking for witnesses in a deadly five-vehicle crash that happened early Friday morning on the 91 Freeway in Bellflower.

The crash killed 24-year-old Santos Palacios, of South Gate, and hurt three other people, according to authorities. Two of the injured were released from the hospital with minor injuries, but one person was admitted to a local hospital with major injuries, officials said.

The CHP believe Palacios was driving a white Scion at a high rate of speed westbound on the 91 Freeway near Lakewood Boulevard just before 2 a.m. when he hit a black Honda Element and white Saturn Vue before hitting the concrete median barrier, CHP spokesman Marcos Iniguez said. After the initial crash, the Scion was disabled and blocking the carpool and lefthand lanes.

Investigators for the California Highway Patrol are looking for witnesses in a five vehicle crash early Friday morning that left one man dead and three others injured on the 91 Freeway in Bellflower. Courtesy photo.

The driver of a green Toyota Sienna van then hit the Scion and came to a stop, also blocking the first lefthand lane. Then, the driver of a silver GMC Canyon truck also hit the Scion and came to a stop in the carpool lane, Iniguez said. Somehow, Palacios ended up outside of the Scian and in the eastbound lanes of the 91 Freeway where he was run over multiple times by unknown vehicles, according to the CHP. Investigators are trying to determine if he was ejected from his car over the center median after the initial crash or if he exited it and ended up being hit, Iniguez said.

“The investigating officer is trying to determine how Mr. Palacios ended up so far from his vehicle and on the other side of the freeway,” Iniguez said. “The officer is looking for witnesses who might have seen the initial collisions with the Honda Element and Saturn Vue. There was a woman who stopped after the collisions and told another witness that she saw the collision but left.”

Investigators are looking into the speed in which Palacios was driving because several witnesses told them they saw it traveling at 100 mph or more before the crash.

CHP asks that anyone who witnessed the crash to call Officer Malik Lanius at 562-868-0503 or email Marcos Iniguez at [email protected].

Valerie Osier is the Social Media & Newsletter Manager for the Long Beach Post. Reach her at [email protected] or on Twitter @ValerieOsier