CAR CRASH KILLS 2, INJURES 1.

Byline: Charles F. Bostwick Staff Writer

LANCASTER - A Carson motorist and his Palmdale passenger died early Saturday when their car plunged off the Antelope Valley Freeway at an estimated 100 mph, shearing off a utility pole on Avenue J, officials said.

Killed were driver Wayne Easter Jr., 28, of Carson and passenger Roy Brown Jr., 31, of Palmdale. Another passenger, Calvin Brown, 21, of Carson was taken to Antelope Valley Hospital with major injuries, the California Highway Patrol said.

The toppled utility pole dropped power lines across both sides of the freeway, closing it for three hours, and knocked out power to about 2,200 Lancaster homes and businesses, officials said. Sheriff's deputies were called out to direct traffic around blacked-out traffic signals.

The CHP said Easter's 1999 Toyota Camry was speeding south when it ran off the west side of the roadway, continued along the dirt shoulder and then launched itself onto the eastbound lanes of Avenue J.

The car crashed through a chain-link fence and sheared the 80-foot-tall utility pole off at its base, sparking a small brush fire, officials said. Southern California Edison crews restored power to all but 200 customers within 20 minutes, officials said.