Man, dog killed in eight-car crash in Los Alamitos

A man and his yellow Labrador retriever were killed and three other people injured in an eight-car crash in Los Alamitos Thursday night, authorities said.

The Los Alamitos Police Department said a first crash occurred at 6:15 p.m. near the intersection of Katella Avenue and Los Alamitos Boulevard

Robert Acosta, a Los Alamitos police spokesman, said the man and his dog were in a mid-size SUV and were pronounced dead at the scene when paramedics arrived.

Two people trapped in their cars were extricated and taken to trauma centers in stable condition. A fourth person was treated at the scene and released.

Acosta said it’s not yet clear how many cars were involved in the first crash. Six vehicles were badly damaged, he said, while two others were “fender benders.”

The total number of people involved in the crash is unclear, he said.

Acosta said investigators were just beginning their work, adding that it was too early to state possible causes of the wreck.