Person ID'd In Fatal Crash On I-5 In Commerce Over Weekend

COMMERCE, CA -- The coroner's office Monday identified one of the three people killed in a two-vehicle crash triggered by a wrong way motorist on the Santa Ana (5) Freeway in Commerce.

He was John Perez, 29, of Downey, said coroner's Lt. Larry Dietz, who did not know whether Perez was the wrong way motorist.

The crash occurred at 5:20 a.m. Sunday on the northbound Santa Ana Freeway, south of Slauson Avenue, said California Highway Patrol Officer E. Latham.

A man was driving a 2015 Mini Cooper S southbound in the northbound number 4 lane, changed to the number 3 lane and collided head-on with a 1998 Ford Econoline 350 driven by a woman with a male passenger, Latham said. All three were pronounced dead at the scene.

A SigAlert was issued at 5:36 a.m. closing the northbound freeway at Slauson Avenue, Latham said. The number 4 lane was opened at 8:55 a.m. and the all lanes were reopened at about 10:05 a.m.

-- City News Service, photo via Shutterstock