Three people were killed and several others injured Tuesday in an eight-vehicle crash on a California freeway after a semi failed to stop; its 21-year-old driver was arrested on suspicion of having been under the influence of drugs.

A chain-reaction crash involving eight vehicles on westbound Interstate 10 near the I-15 interchange in Ontario, California, on Tuesday left three people dead and several others injured, authorities said. California Highway Patrol officers arrested the driver of a Freightliner semi, identified as Jashanpreet Singh, 21, of Yuba City, on suspicion of driving under the influence of drugs, causing injury, and gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated.

CHP said traffic had slowed or stopped around 1.15pm local time when the lorry failed to stop in time, triggering the multi-vehicle pileup. Two victims were pronounced dead at the scene. Five others were taken to nearby hospitals, and one of those patients later died.

Ontario Fire officials said all victims were adults.

By Wednesday, CHP had identified one of the deceased as a 54-year-old man from Upland. The conditions of the other injured patients were not immediately available.

Singh was booked into the West Valley Detention Center, bail set at 25,000 dollars, and is scheduled to appear in Rancho Cucamonga Superior Court on Thursday.

The freeway reopened at about 1am Wednesday after crews cleared the wreckage. At least three tractor-trailers, a truck towing a loaded trailer, a pickup, and two passenger cars sustained major damage.