Car crash in Santa Clara kills teen, injures 5

SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- A car crash near a major thoroughfare in Santa Clara killed a 15-year-old girl and injured five other people this afternoon, a police spokesman said.

The teen was a passenger in a white Chevrolet pickup truck heading south on Lafayette Street north of Montague Expressway, where the vehicle crashed into a pole, police Lt. Dan Moreno said.

Witnesses reported the vehicle was driving at the speed limit, then for unknown reasons veered off the road and into a traffic signal, Moreno said.

Officers responded to the scene and found six people inside the truck, according to Moreno.

The 15-year-old girl was a passenger and emergency crews pronounced her dead at the scene, Moreno said.

The driver and the other passengers were transported to hospitals for varying degrees of injuries that weren't considered life-threatening, according to Moreno.

There were no obvious signs of drugs or alcohol being involved, but police are looking into the circumstances surrounding the crash, the spokesman said.

Southbound Lafayette Street is closed at Agnew Road and estimated to remain blocked through the evening commute, Moreno said.