Limo fire: Victims tried to climb through front partition - Chicago Tribune (blog)

A limousine caught fire on the San Mateo Bridge overnight, which left five women dead.

A stretch limousine carrying nine women caught fire while crossing a bridge over the San Francisco Bay on Saturday night, killing five of the passengers that were part of a bridal party and injuring four others, police said.

The four surviving passengers were taken to local hospitals suffering from burns and smoke inhalation, according to a California Highway Patrol accident report.

Officials have not officially released the names of the victims.

Hospital representatives declined to release information on the condition of the women, but the San Jose Mercury News reported that two of them were listed in critical condition.

The driver of the white Lincoln Towncar limousine was not injured in the incident on the San Mateo-Hayward Bridge, which spans the San Francisco Bay.

According to the Los Angeles Times, the nine women, including a newlywed, were out celebrating with friends Saturday in the Bay Area. Multiple reports say the newlywed is among the dead.

A limousine driver with LimoStop Inc. picked up the women in Oakland and was going to drop them off about 40 miles away at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Foster City. According to the CHP report, the limo was traveling westbound on the San Mateo-Hayward Bridge.

But as the white 1999 Lincoln Town Car crossed the bridge, the passengers noticed smoke coming from the back of the vehicle, San Mateo County Coroner Robert Foucrault told the Los Angeles Times. They alerted the driver, who pulled over.

"It was almost impossible for them to get out as the fire was moving so fast," Foucrault said.

When the driver got out, he saw that the rear of the vehicle was engulfed in flames, Foucrault said. The fire quickly spread, trapping several of the women inside.

The limousine driver, Orville Brown, 46, of San Jose, was not injured, but the incident left him "pretty distraught," Foucrault said.

The CHP said they did not know the cause of the fire. There was no indication that the vehicle had been involved in an accident.

The limousine company issued a statement Sunday saying that it was "deeply saddened" by the deaths.

"LimoStop Inc. will do everything possible to investigate and assist authorities in determining the cause of this fire in order to help bring forth answers and provide closure to the victims and their families," the statement said.

Reuters and Angel Jennings and Lee Romney, Los Angeles Times

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