2 teens, 2 adults killed in single-vehicle crash in Santa Ana; 3rd teen remains in critical condition

Editor’s note: Initially, Santa Ana police stated that five victims had died and one was hospitalized; however, they clarified Sunday afternoon that two people were fighting for their lives in the hospital, including one listed in “grave condition.”

A total of six people inside one car were involved in a violent late-night crash in Santa Ana on Saturday, and according to authorities, more than half of the victims are local teenagers.

Initial information from Santa Ana Police Department Officer Natalie Garcia indicates that officers were dispatched to the area of West Segerstrom Avenue and South Townsend Street around 11:30 p.m. on reports of a vehicle that had collided with a tree. 

Upon arriving at the scene, officers discovered there were six people — five females and one male — inside the car at the time of the collision. Their preliminary investigation revealed that the male driver was traveling westbound on Segerstrom at a high rate of speed and missed a turn when the crash happened. 

Of the six victims, four were pronounced dead at the scene, Officer Garcia stated. A fifth died at a nearby hospital and the sixth remains in critical condition. 

At least two of the victims had been ejected from the car and a nearby black sedan sustained minor damage, but no one inside the latter vehicle was hurt.

The victims are several family members, although their exact relation was not immediately known, Officer Garcia elaborated, further adding that impairment may have played a role in the crash.

Speaking to KTLA 5’s Omar Lewis, Officer Garcia later confirmed that four of the victims were teenagers and the other two were adults.

“Three juveniles were pronounced dead at the scene, and one was transported to a hospital where she is in critical but stable condition,” she said. “The two adults were pronounced deceased at the scene.”

“It’s sad that these kids were locals to Santa Ana,” she continued. “It’s a devastating incident.”

A woman who lives near where the crash happened told KTLA later on Sunday morning that high-speed crashes are becoming more and more common in her neighborhood.

“It’s very concerning because in the evenings, I do hear a lot of racing…and [tires] spinning out,” said Rachel Cervantes. “As a parent, it’s sad to know that young kids are gone.”

Video footage obtained by KTLA shows the aftermath of the crash with a large law enforcement presence along Segerstrom as firefighters ascended a ladder to access the mangled vehicle, which was damaged beyond recognition next to a tree in the center median.

The stretch of Segerstrom near the crash site will be shut down indefinitely. Anyone with further information on the crash is asked to call the Santa Ana Police Department.