Fatal crashes close lanes of 5 and 210 freeways, snarling traffic in San Fernando Valley

Morning rush hour traffic in the east San Fernando Valley was snarled by two fatal incidents early Friday that closed freeway lanes.

All southbound lanes on the 5 Freeway were shut down after two people were killed in a crash involving a big rig.

The collision was reported around 5:05 a.m. in Sun Valley, Officer Moises Marroquin with the California Highway Patrol said. KABC-TV Channel 7 reported that a fire erupted when the big rig struck a stalled white van, according to a CHP incident log. Firefighters extinguished the flames.

The CHP could not confirm the details of the crash other than to say it was a “double fatality,” Marroquin said.

Southbound traffic is being diverted to the southbound 170 Freeway in Sun Valley, Marroquin said. No estimate was given for when the lanes might reopen.

About five miles north, all lanes of the eastbound 210 Freeway near Hubbard Street in Sylmar are also closed until further notice because of a pedestrian fatality accident.

Caltrans traffic-monitoring maps showed traffic from the 210 backing up onto the 5 and 14 freeways in the Santa Clarita Valley.