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The death toll in the high-speed Santa Ana crash over the weekend has climbed to five, authorities confirmed Wednesday.
A 13-year-old was identified as the fifth person to have died as a result of the violent crash that killed three other teenagers.
The sixth passenger, identified as a 15-year-old girl, remains hospitalized and in stable condition.
The crash was reported just after 11:30 p.m. Saturday on Segerstrom Avenue near Townsend Street. There, a vehicle split in half after its driver lost control while traveling at a high rate of speed and struck a tree in the center divider, according to the Santa Ana Police Department.
Flowers and crosses now mark the site where the driver slammed into a tree in Santa Ana. Families and the community continue to mourn the five individuals, which include a pair of sisters.
Ignacio Robles said he couldn’t describe the immeasurable pain he and his loved ones are feeling after learning two of his daughters were among the six passengers of the vehicle. He said one of his daughters did not survive.
“She was a good kid,” he said. “She didn’t talk much, she didn’t do drugs, didn’t drink.”
Investigators said the vehicle was driven by an 18-year-old who was traveling west on Segerstrom Avenue. He, a 20-year-old passenger and two teenage girls were killed at the scene.
“It’s more than likely that alcohol and drugs played a factor in the incident,” Santa Ana police officer Natalie Garcia said. “However, we know for certain that the vehicle appears to be traveling or have had been traveling at a high rate of speed.”
Police said their suspicions that drugs may have played a factor in the crash came after they found evidence at the scene.
The Santa Ana Unified School District sent a statement saying Valley High School and Carr Middle School students were involved in the crash. It also said counselors will be available this week to help students process the tragedy.
Law enforcement officials have not identified the deceased.
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