Lieutenant: Castaic Triple-Fatal Crash May Have Been Deliberate

CASTAIC (CBSLA.com) — A fatal crash that claimed the lives of a Lancaster father and two children may have been deliberate, Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department homicide Lt. Eddie Hernandez said Tuesday.

The lieutenant said Alona Marie Edwards, 5, and Erick Dean Edwards, 9, were in the car with their father Alan Edwards, 46, when detectives say he may have purposely crashed into a big-rig truck.

The crash happened around 1 a.m. Monday on the southbound Golden State (5) Freeway in the Whitaker Brake Check area.

Homicide detectives say there is evidence Edwards made several maneuvers that put him in a direct path with the parked truck.

Detectives also say Edwards was not asleep and because there were no tire marks on the ground, authorities don't believe he made any attempt to stop.

Hernandez said Edwards was in a bitter custody battle with his estranged wife, Sherri Edwards.

He had taken the children for the weekend, and when he failed to return them to her Sunday, she reported them missing.

"Certain things left in the house are all red flags," the children's mother told The Signal. "He left his driver's license, his keys and my son's asthma medication. All the doors were unlocked."

A GoFundMe page has been set up for the children's mother.

Sheriff's detectives say their investigation is continuing.

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