Last Updated on December 16, 2020 by CCAR Staff
An 18-year-old Chino woman died in a fiery car crash that left three others hospitalized, the Chino Police Department said.
Emelie Anna Hjerten was pronounced dead at the scene, according to the San Bernardino County Coroner’s Office.
The crash was discovered Monday evening, Dec. 14 at about 8:26 p.m. when Chino PD responded to reports of a vehicle fire in the 13400 block of Central Avenue in Chino. Officers discovered a vehicle in the southbound lanes fully engulfed in fire.
Officers rescued two of the vehicle’s occupants from the Toyota Prius while a third passenger was found outside of the car prior to their arrival.
Two victims were stable while one was in critical condition, the Police Department said. The three surviving victims were identified as a 19-year-old Chino man, a 20-year-old Chino Hills man and a 19-year old woman from Corona.
The Police Department’s initial investigation revealed that the vehicle was traveling north on Central Avenue when it swerved into the southbound lanes and collided with a tree on the west sidewalk before catching on fire.
Firefighters from the Chino Valley Independent Fire District extinguished the flames, Chino PD said.
Anyone with information about the crash was asked to contact Officer Andy Bernath with the Chino Police Department Traffic Unit at (909) 334-3045 or via email at abernath@chinopd.org
