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Female Passenger Critical After Car Is Reportedly Forced Into Pole In Norwalk During Street Race

NORWALK (CBSLA.com)  —  A female passenger is in critical condition after a car slammed into a light pole in Norwalk on Friday evening.

KCAL9's Rachel Kim said witnesses said the car might have been involved in street racing at the time of the accident.

The collision occurred in the 11400 block of Alondra Boulevard.

Rescuers had to use the Jaws of Life for more than an hour to extricate the woman from the gray Honda sedan. In addition to the Jaws of Life, rescuers also used spreaders and cutting saws to free the woman.

"It was a very chaotic scene," Kim reported.

The male driver was able to get out of the Honda on his own. The female passenger has been taken to a hospital in critical condition.

Investigators are on scene looking for a cause of the accident.

Speed was probably a factor, authorities said, given the damage to the vehicle.

Witness Sandeep Dawar said he saw a car behind the Honda appear to be pushing it before a race commenced. He said both vehicles were speeding moments before the crash.

"The car behind pushed it, and there was a little gap," Dawar said, "and then the car behind it pushed it up onto the corner [and fled.]"

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