A deadly crash in the southbound lanes of the 15 Freeway late Monday night killed three people and snarled traffic in Fontana for hours into Tuesday morning.

Two vehicles collided in the middle of the southbound side of the freeway, in an impact so powerful that one of the cars burst into flames.

According to the California Highway Patrol, the accident happened around 11:40 p.m. Monday near Sierra Avenue.

Three people died in Fontana after a wrong-way driver slammed into another car on the southbound side of the freeway. Annette Arreola reports for Today in LA on Tuesday, Oct. 25, 2022.

A vehicle speeding northbound on the wrong side of the freeway was in the center lanes, colliding head-on with another car.

Witnesses scrambled to call 911 to report the horrific crash.

Investigators had reopened the two far-right lanes of the freeway by 5 a.m., but all southbound lanes were closed shortly after the crash, and traffic was still severely backed up in that area by the time morning commuters began traveling.

All lanes reopened around 7:30 a.m.

The coroner arrived just after 5 a.m. to collect the bodies of the three people involved in the deadly collision.

No information about their identities was immediately available after the wreck.

The two cars remained in the middle of the freeway as investigators collected evidence from the wreckage.

Authorities estimated it would take until at least 7 a.m. for all lanes on the southbound side of the 15 Freeway to reopen. Lanes were reopened by 7:45 a.m., though delays continues due to the traffic backup.