4 Die, 10 Hurt in Traffic Accidents in Acton, Newhall, Simi Valley

Traffic accidents claimed the lives of four people and injured 10 others from Acton to Simi Valley, authorities said Sunday.

In an accident about 6 p.m. Saturday, two men were killed when their pickup trucks collided on Escondido Canyon Road, about a mile north of Red Rover Mine Road in Acton, California Highway Patrol Officer Andy Gutierrez said.

Daniel Hoffman, 37, of Acton was driving his Dodge pickup truck when he lost control of it and broadsided another truck driven by Michael Barofsky, 19, also of Acton, Gutierrez said. Both men were pronounced dead at the scene.

About 90 minutes later, Barbara Camarena, 51, of Sepulveda was killed when her car crossed the center divider on Soledad Canyon Road near the Antelope Valley Freeway in Acton. Her car was broadsided by a second car and then hit head-on by a third, Gutierrez said.

Passengers Injured

Camarena had three passengers with her, including an 8-year-old boy, who also were injured, he said. Jeremy McDonough, 8, suffered a head injury and was taken to Childrens Hospital in Los Angeles where he was in serious condition. Zena Camarena, 24, was in stable condition after undergoing surgery at Antelope Valley Medical Center for a head injury. Ricky Hayes, 27, was treated for cuts at Antelope Valley Medical Center and released, hospital officials said.

The second car was driven by Harry Shimato, 62, of Quartz Hill, who was treated for cuts and bruises at Palmdale General Hospital. His wife, Helen Shimato, 57, was treated for a broken wrist, leg and ankle and was in stable condition at the Palmdale hospital. No information was available about the driver and passenger in the third car.

In Newhall, a man was booked on suspicion of vehicular manslaughter and felony drunk driving in connection with a 12:20 a.m. accident Sunday on San Fernando Road in which a passenger in his car was killed, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Lt. Harvey Cantor said.

Car Overturned

Abel Barrera, 26, of Newhall lost control of his car, which overturned and struck two telephone poles, killing Fermin Barrera, 25, upon impact, Cantor said. Authorities did not know if the two men were related.

In Simi Valley, Dennis Ramirez, 25, was arrested about 10:30 a.m. Sunday on suspicion of felony hit-and-run driving, several hours after he fled the scene of an accident, authorities said. A carload of people was injured when driver Juan Torres, 22, ran a stop sign at Erringer Road and Patricia Avenue about 3 a.m. and a white pickup truck, driven by Ramirez, hit his car, Simi Valley Police Sgt. Rex Jones said.

Torres and four of the six passengers in his car were injured, police said. All were in stable condition, authorities said.