1 Killed When 2 Vans Collide After Blown Tire

HACIENDA HEIGHTS — A man was killed and several other people were injured Tuesday morning when a tire on a van blew out and caused a traffic accident on an offramp of the westbound Pomona Freeway, authorities said.

The accident, which involved two vans, happened on the Hacienda Boulevard offramp at 1:30 a.m., said California Highway Patrol Officer Shirley Gaines.

The left rear tire on one of the vans--a red Dodge Ram driven by Khai Hoang, 55, of San Gabriel--blew out, causing the van to strike a white Dodge Caravan, Gaines said. Hoang and the driver of the second van, identified by CHP officers as Chris Saenz, 71, of Pico Rivera, lost control of their vehicles, she said.

Three of the injured were taken to Whittier Hospital Medical Center with minor injuries. The man who was killed was a passenger in the red van, Gaines said.

The driver of the white van was taken to County-USC Medical Center, Gaines said. His condition was not known, Gaines said.

Officers did not immediately release the identity of the dead man.