3 KILLED IN PICKUP TRUCK CRASH; LACK OF SEAT BELTS CITED.

Byline: Laurence Darmiento Daily News Staff Writer

Three construction workers on their way to a swimming pool job in the Antelope Valley were killed Wednesday morning when the pickup truck they were riding in overturned on the freeway, officials said.

Two of the workers were riding unsecured in the camper shell of the 1988 Ford Ranger that went out of control on the Antelope Valley Freeway north of Via Princessa, said California Highway Patrol Officer Wendy Moore.

Driver Luis Delatorres, 34, of San Fernando, who survived the crash, told investigators he heard a sudden noise before the pickup went out of control and flipped side over side about 5:30 a.m., she said.

``That is all he remembers,'' Moore said. ``We are going to check the truck for mechanical defects.''

The third passenger who died was in the truck's front passenger seat and did not appear to have been wearing a seat belt; he was thrown out of the cab and crushed by the truck, Moore said.

Two of the three were pronounced dead at the scene, while a third died as he was being prepared for surgery, Moore said.

A passenger in the camper shell, Carlos Guttierez, 20, of San Fernando, survived the crash, but suffered serious head injuries. He was listed in critical condition at Henry Mayo Newhall Memorial Hospital.

Also being treated at the hospital was Delatorres, who was in good condition, a hospital spokeswoman said.

Authorities refused to release the names of the passengers who died, saying they had not been officially identified. But they did confirm that all five men worked for Southern California Gunite, a pool contractor.

A woman who answered the company's listed phone number said it was a family operation based in Pacoima. She said the three employees who died were distant relatives, but declined further comment.

Under the state's vehicle code, passengers may not ride in the back of a pickup truck unless they are in an approved seat and restrained. Both the driver and adult passengers are subject to tickets, Moore said.

Investigators may ask the district attorney to file manslaughter charges against Delatorres for violating the law, she said.

``Obviously there is joint fault, but the driver was allowing them to sit back there. We are going to see if that is enough for vehicular manslaughter,'' she said.

CHP policy requires patrol officers to issue citations when laws are violated, but that is often difficult in the case of passengers riding unrestrained in camper shells, because many have tinted windows, Moore said.

Wednesday's triple fatality was the worst crash this year so far on the Antelope Valley Freeway, where four other motorists have died in three crashes since Jan. 1, Moore said.

CHP investigators remained at the scene all morning, but no traffic lanes were shut down, only a single on-ramp.