MOM, 3 KIDS HURT IN CRASH.

Byline: Carol Rock Staff Writer

GORMAN - Three critically injured children and their mother were thrown from their overturned van after it hit the center divider of the southbound Golden State Freeway near Quail Valley Road just before 2 p.m. Wednesday.

According to Officer Wendy Moore of the California Highway Patrol, a tire on the white minivan driven by Anel K. Flores, 23, of San Jose experienced tread separation, causing the vehicle to spin out of control into the center divider and guardrail. Flores' passengers were her three children, Phais Flores, 3; Jasmin Flores, 4, and Jonny Flores, 6.

The van overturned into traffic lanes. At some point, the van collided with a southbound black Ford Crown Victoria driven by a 53-year old man, Moore said. The man was not injured.

The freeway was closed briefly to facilitate airlifting the injured family from the scene. The children, all with major injuries, were taken by helicopter to Childrens Hospital Los Angeles. In a separate airlift, the mother was flown to Henry Mayo Newhall Memorial Hospital, where she was being treated for a possible lower lumbar fracture.

Moore said it appeared that Phais Flores was in a car seat and Jasmin Flores was in a booster seat, but that no restraint systems were used by any of the family.

The crash is still under investigation.

Carol Rock, [phone]

carol.rock(at)dailynews.com