At least 4 die in 3-vehicle crash west of Barstow

A fiery three-vehicle crash along Highway 395 west of Barstow near Kramer Junction claimed at least four lives Saturday.

The San Bernardino County coroner’s office said a Ford F-250 truck towing a trailer was traveling northbound on Highway 395 when it collided with a southbound passenger van. The trailer attached to the F-250 subsequently collided with a Toyota Corolla that was also southbound, according to the coroner’s report. CHP records indicate that a sedan involved in the crash was cut in half.

CHP records show that officers responded to a report at 3:07 p.m. that two vehicles, including a pickup, one with a trailer, had rolled over and may have hit a car. A few minutes later, reports came in that a van, occupied by seven to nine people, had caught on fire.

The coroner’s office said there were nine people in the van, two in the Ford F-250 pickup and two in the Toyota Corolla. The four people who were killed, who were burned beyond recognition, were all found to have perished in the van. The Inland Valley Daily Bulletin reported that a fifth victim had also died.

Four other people were taken to Barstow Community Hospital, where three were treated for minor injuries and released, and the fourth was expected to be released shortly, a hospital employee reported just before 11:30 p.m. Saturday.

CHP logs indicate that authorities were checking if the occupants of the van were members of a church group. But that information could not be confirmed Saturday night.