March 17--A violent crash on Pacific Coast Highway near Point Mugu in Ventura County left three people dead and a vehicle sliced in two, authorities said Tuesday.
Two vehicles were involved in the crash shortly after midnight in the southbound lanes of the 7800 block of Pacific Coast Highway, according a dispatcher with the Ventura County Fire Department who declined to give his name.
Sgt. David Hong of the California Highway Patrol said a Mercedes was speeding north on PCH when it lost control and began to spin. The car collided head-on with a car headed in the opposite direction, according to KTLA.
"The Mercedes was cut in half," Hong said. "The front end was spun around. The rear end went toward the rocks ... and the driver was partially ejected."
Both drivers were killed along with a passenger in the vehicle that was hit by the Mercedes, KTLA reported. The crumpled, broken remains of the vehicles initially led to reports of three vehicles being involved instead of two, officials said.
Fire officials pronounced the victims dead at the scene. Their identities were not immediately available.
A coroner's investigator was arriving at the location and the U.S. Coast Guard was also searching the coastline for any other possible victims.
The California Highway Patrol, Ventura County Station, will handle the ongoing investigation.
Nicole.charky@latimes.com
UPDATE
7:14 a.m.: This post was updated with additional details and clarification that two vehicles, not three, were involved.
This post was originally published at 3:26 a.m.
