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CHP: Woman Killed After Audi Rear-Ends Big Rig At High Speed

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — A 20-year-old Los Angeles woman was killed early Tuesday morning after the car she was in rear-ended a big rig on the Santa Monica (10) Freeway in the Jefferson Park area.

The woman, whose name has not been released pending notification of her family, was a passenger in the 2007 Audi that crashed into the back of a big rig just after 1:30 a.m. on the westbound 10 Freeway, east of Crenshaw Boulevard, California Highway Patrol officials said. She was taken to a hospital, where she died.

The driver, 21-year-old Molly Kate Adams of Santa Monica, was treated for "moderate" injuries, then arrested on suspicion of felony driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, according to the CHP.

Both women were trapped for a short time in the wreckage of the car.

Authorities say a 38-year-old Chino man was driving the big rig at about 55 miles per hour when it was rear-ended by the Audi, which "was traveling at a high rate of speed," according to the preliminary investigation.

"The Audi was then struck by a Scion as it remained disabled in the Nos. 3 and 4 lanes of traffic," the CHP reported. "The two female occupants were trapped within the Audi, and had to be extricated by (the) Los Angeles Fire Department."

The truck driver was taken to a hospital for a minor injury. The Scion driver was examined at the scene, but did not need to go to the hospital, the CHP reported.

Three of the five westbound lanes were blocked for a couple of hours while an investigation was conducted into the circumstances of the crash.

(©2012 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Wire services contributed to this report.)

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