3 DIE IN FIERY CRASH; DRIVER JAILED CHP: EX-CONVICT DRIVER 'EXTREMELY INTOXICATED'.Byline: Jason Kandel Staff Writer A man and two young children were killed Wednesday in a fiery crash when their car was rear-ended by a Chevrolet Corvette corvette, small warship, classed between a frigate and a sloop-of-war. Corvettes usually were flush-decked and carried fewer than 28 guns. They were widely employed in escorting convoys and attacking merchant ships during the great naval wars of the late 18th and being driven 100 mph by drunken ex-convict, authorities said. The unidentified man, about 35, and a boy and girl died at the scene of the 2 a.m. crash on the westbound Ronald Reagan Freeway near Balboa Boulevard. ``It was so horrific. I have never seen a collision where the debris field was a quarter-mile in length,'' said California Highway Patrol highway patrol n. A state law enforcement organization whose police officers patrol the public highways. spokesman Leland Tang. ``It looked like something that blew up. ``It's very sad. Two weeks before Thanksgiving - this is not something to be thankful for.'' The driver of the black Corvette was identified as Timothy Whelan, 35, of La Canada Flintridge, who had served a 12-year prison sentence on drug charges. Syringes and cash were found in his trunk. Whelan, who suffered minor injuries, was being held without bail at Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. County Jail on suspicion of murder. Authorities said he was ``extremely intoxicated in·tox·i·cate v. in·tox·i·cat·ed, in·tox·i·cat·ing, in·tox·i·cates v.tr. 1. To stupefy or excite by the action of a chemical substance such as alcohol. 2. .'' His passenger was identified as Mike Whitaker, 35, of Canoga Park, who was on parole for weapons, false identity, drug and burglary charges. He was in serious but stable condition at Northridge Hospital Medical Center Northridge Hospital Medical Center is a hospital in the Northridge town of Los Angeles, California, USA. It is currently operated by Catholic Healthcare West. History The hospital was founded in 1955 by Dr. and will be taken into custody for a parole violation. ``Intoxicated drivers have a distorted perception of their speed,'' Tang said. ``Their vehicle smelled like alcohol. It smelled like a brewery.'' Authorities said they were having trouble confirming the identities of the victims because they carried no identification and their bodies were badly burned. In addition, the Honda Accord The examples and perspective in this article or section may not represent a worldwide view of the subject. Please [ improve this article] or discuss the issue on the talk page. in which they were traveling was still registered to its previous owner. Police said the 2003 Corvette was speeding over 100 mph in the fast lane of the westbound 118 Freeway when it came up behind the 1988 Honda. The driver of the Honda moved to the right, apparently into the path the man at the wheel of the Corvette had chosen to take. The westbound lanes of the freeway were closed for more than four hours as investigators sifted through the wreckage. It was reopened just before the morning commute TO COMMUTE. To substitute one punishment in the place of another. For example, if a man be sentenced to be hung, the executive may, in some states, commute his punishment to that of imprisonment. . ``It's an unfortunate situation,'' Tang said. ``They were in the wrong place at the wrong time. It could happen to any one of us. That's the sad thing. All we can do is reinforce what we already know - drinking and driving is bad.'' Jason Kandel, (818) 713-3664 jason.kandel(at)dailynews.com CAPTION(S): photo, map Photo: (color) A CHP CHP Chapter CHP Combined Heat and Power CHP California Highway Patrol CHP Cumhuriyet Halk Partisi (Turkish: Republican People's Party) CHP Chemical Hygiene Plan (OSHA) CHP Community Health Plan officer looks over the burned-out wreckage of an auto in which a man and two children died after the vehicle was hit by a Corvette traveling at an estimated 100 mph on the 118 Freeway. Gene Blevins/Special to the Daily News Map: 2-car fatal crash |
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