2 sets of sisters among victims in deadly single-car crash in Santa Ana

New details about the mostly teenage victims of a violent single-vehicle crash in Santa Ana Sunday morning are emerging.

Santa Ana Police Department Officer Natalie Garcia indicated 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 18-year-old male driver was traveling at high speed westbound on Segerstrom and missed a turn when the crash happened.

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

Four of the victims were pronounced dead at the scene, while a fifth victim fights for their life in a local hospital and a sixth person is listed in “grave condition.”

Initially, Santa Ana police stated that five of the victims had died, though later in the afternoon stated that two of them are currently hospitalized.

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.

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Friends and family began gathering at the crash site throughout the day, paying their respects at a growing memorial.

While their identities have yet to officially be released, those who knew them told KTLA’s Rachel Menitoff that the young people, including two sets of sisters, were all friends connected through Valley High School in Santa Ana.

Learning of their tragic deaths, their closest friends said, has been incredibly painful and difficult to believe.

One friend of the victims, identified only as Veronica, said she burst into tears hearing the tragedy.

“It’s because I’ve known them for so long, and we’ve been through so much,” she said.

Another friend said she came to the crash site to show her love for the victims.

“You never know how much time you can spend with somebody,” friend April Marie explained.

Police said the investigation into the crash will take some time but say alcohol and or drugs may have been a factor in the devastating crash.

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