A 12-year-old Aptos girl was killed in a five-car collision on State Route 1 in Santa Cruz on Saturday, according to the California Highway Patrol.
A 34-year-old man was driving a 2004 Ford E-350 van on southbound Route 1 south of La Fonda Avenue, where he struck the back of a Toyota Prius shortly before 5 p.m., CHP officials said.
The initial collision caused a chain reaction in which the Toyota struck the rear of a 2015 Chrysler 200, which hit the back of a 2009 Chevrolet Silverado, which pushed into a Volvo V70, according to the CHP.
A 40-year-old Aptos woman driving the Toyota was airlifted to Natividad Medical Center for injuries and her rear passenger, a 12-year-old girl, died, CHP officials said.
A 32-year-old man driving the Chrysler and his passenger, a 36-year-old woman, suffered minor to moderate injuries but did not need to be hospitalized, according to the CHP.
Investigators do not suspect alcohol or drugs were a factor in the collision, CHP officials said.
