Ontario, California (March 30, 2026) — Two people were killed, and several others were injured in a multi-vehicle crash late Monday night on the westbound 10 Freeway in Ontario, according to authorities.
Officials identified the deceased as 52-year-old Hye Kim of Pomona and 26-year-old Carlos Soto of Montclair.
The crash happened shortly before midnight on the westbound 10 Freeway between Euclid Avenue and Fourth Street.
Incident Details: According to the Ontario Fire Department, emergency crews responded to a crash involving multiple vehicles after receiving an initial call for as many as 25 possible patients. The scale of the response reflected the seriousness of the scene. Three fire engines, one fire battalion, and four ambulances were sent to assist.
Firefighters transported one patient in critical condition and another in moderate condition. Two people were pronounced dead at the scene. On Tuesday, the San Bernardino County Coroner identified the victims as Hye Kim, who was driving one of the vehicles involved in the collision, and Carlos Soto, who was a passenger in another vehicle.
Authorities have not yet said how many people were involved or released details explaining how the crash began. The California Highway Patrol issued a Sig Alert for multiple lanes while crews worked to clear the roadway, and six tow trucks were requested to remove the damaged vehicles from the scene.
Investigation: The cause of the crash remains under investigation. In a major freeway collision involving multiple vehicles and multiple casualties, investigators will usually focus on the sequence of impacts, vehicle speeds, lane positions, and whether one initial collision triggered the rest of the crash.
Crash reconstruction will likely include review of physical evidence from the freeway, damage patterns on each vehicle, witness statements, and any available traffic camera or dashcam footage. Investigators may also examine whether distraction, impairment, unsafe speed, fatigue, or an unsafe lane change contributed to the crash. In a crash with this many reported patients, sorting out exactly who struck whom and in what order can take time.
Another important issue will be determining the full extent of the injuries and identifying all drivers and passengers involved. Early news reports of major freeway crashes often leave those details incomplete. For families affected by the collision, those missing facts matter because they can shape both the investigation and any future civil claims.
Legal Considerations: Multi-vehicle freeway crashes often raise complex liability issues because responsibility may rest with one driver, several drivers, or other contributing factors that are not immediately apparent from initial reports. A thorough investigation is often necessary before fault can be clearly assigned.
Because this crash involved multiple vehicles and several reported injuries, any civil case may become especially complicated. Insurance issues, disputed fault, and conflicting witness accounts are common in these cases. That makes early evidence preservation and a clear reconstruction of the crash especially important.
If evidence indicates that negligence played a role in the crash, the families of Hye Kim and Carlos Soto may have the right to file wrongful death claims. These claims can seek compensation for funeral and burial costs, loss of financial support, and the loss of love, companionship, and guidance.
The injured victims may also have personal injury claims for medical expenses, future treatment, lost income, pain and suffering, and other damages tied to the seriousness of their injuries.
I offer my heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of Hye Kim and Carlos Soto, and I wish strength and recovery to those who were injured.
Source: CBS Los Angeles