WOMAN KILLED, FOUR INJURED IN COLLISION.

Byline: Naush Boghossian Staff Writer

SAUGUS - A woman was killed Monday afternoon in Saugus when the pickup truck she was riding in slammed into a parked big rig on San Fernando Road.

Four people were injured, including the man driving the pickup, who was listed in critical condition, sheriff's deputies said.

The couple, who were not identified, were in a silver Ford F150 pickup truck that seemingly lost control. One witness told investigators the truck's throttle appeared to stick as the driver first hit a smaller Mazda pickup, pushing it down the road for close to 200 feet, b ``I thought it was a crazy person,'' said Melody Byrns, driving the Mazda with her two daughters, Jessica, 17, and Danielle, 15, with her. ``We were so lucky we didn't hit that truck because it would have killed all of us.''

It was shortly before 4 p.m. when the Mazda and larger Ford truck were heading west on San Fernando Road near Oak Ridge Drive, Los Angeles County sheriff's and fire officials said. With no warning, the M from the rear several times, then pushed down the road.

``It was hitting me and pushing me,'' Byrns said. ``I was trying to pull over and get out of the way.''

Byrns said she finally managed to veer to the left, just as the Ford plowed into the big rig. She and her daughters suffered only minor injuries, including burns from their safety belts.

The crash closed the westbound lanes and one of two eastbound lanes, jamming commuter traffic and jangling nerves.

Seventeen-year-old Brian Anjer was waiting for a bus as the Ford pickup raced passed him.

``I was scared,'' he said. ``I thought it was going to hit me.''