This gut wrenching scene is hard to imagine.

Two Asian American men had to be held back by California Highway Patrol Officers as their van was engulfed in flames and their two wives and four children were burning to death inside, reports KABC.

The men tried to save their loved ones along the side of the road in Gorman, a couple of hours outside Los Angeles, and at one point, officers joined in their efforts.

But their valiant efforts proved impossible. The two fathers, Aaron Hon Wing Ng, 34, of San Francisco and Wei Xiong Li, 45, of Daly City, had suffered burns and officers had no choice but to end the rescue efforts.

The families were on their way to Los Angeles for vacation when their minivan rear ended a BMW. The men went outside to inspect the damage. Their minivan which was still partially in the roadway and was then rear ended by a big rig. The families’ vehicle ended up in a ravine and caught fire.

“Words can’t describe what that was like when we arrived on scene,” Officer Dan Williams said. “It was very horrific seeing them trying to get their families out, us trying to help get their families out. Like I said, the van went up in flames very, very quickly.”





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