4-Year-Old Boy Killed, 7 Others Hurt in Crash

A 4-year-old boy was killed and seven other people, including five children, were injured Monday when the car in which they were riding careened through a center divider on Imperial Highway in South Gate, flipped over and was broadsided by a truck.

Samy Girges, 35, of Bellflower, was driving westbound on Imperial Highway east of the Los Angeles River when he lost control of his car and it slid across Imperial Highway at 11 a.m., South Gate Traffic Officer Keith Underwood said.

The four-wheel drive Mitsubishi Montero crashed though the center divider and slid on two wheels into the eastbound lane of the highway, where it was hit by the truck, he said. Michael Kela was crushed when the truck slammed into the car. He was pronounced dead at the scene, police said.