2 killed, including child, in fiery San Jose 4-vehicle crash on Hwy 87: CHP

SAN JOSE, Calif. (KGO) -- A fiery crash along the northbound lanes of Highway 87 in San Jose left two dead, including a child, and at least two others injured on Tuesday.

It happened just past the Curtner exit, south of Downtown San Jose, just before 11 a.m. Tuesday morning.

It was a terrible scene on the freeway with the smell of burnt rubber present after a four-car crash ignited three cars and killed two people in the process.

Video from drivers passing by showed flames engulfing three cars involved in a massive crash, with at least five people inside those cars. A fourth car was able to drive away.

California Highway Patrol Officer Ross Lee said all three drivers of the cars that went up in flames were able to get out.

But two in a Lexus were not, and an adult and a child were killed.

"We can confirm that there are two fatalities in this crash," Officer Lee said. "There were two other drivers believed to be in the other vehicles that were transported to the hospital. The extent of their injuries were unknown."

The cause of the crash remained unknown early Tuesday, but the CHP says alcohol or drugs were not believed to have been involved.

The two Teslas involved were facing opposite directions, perpendicular to the lanes of the highway.

The Lexus, where the two people died inside, was smashed up against the median wall.

A Toyota Sienna minivan was able to drive away from the scene with damage to its backside.

Officer Lee told us crashes involving deaths require slow and detailed investigations - leading to the lane closures.

"Obviously, when we have vehicles that are burnt up, we will have to examine those vehicles and make sure that our investigators are able to determine how this crash happened," Officer Lee said. "So, we will take extra time with that and make sure that we are being very thorough in that part of the investigation."

Traffic was backed up for miles and diverted off the highway at Curtner. All lanes had reopened by 3:45 p.m.

The charred remains of the vehicles and the loss of life were a grim reminder of the dangers of the road.

"We want to make sure we are putting out our same safety messages of watching your speed, maintaining a good follow distance and keeping distractions out of the vehicle," Lee said.

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