Santa Maria Mourns Loss Of Local Teens In Fatal Weekend Crash
SANTA MARIA, Calif. (KEYT) – A single-car crash at the intersection of South Broadway and Miller Street in Santa Maria killed five people just before 2:00am Sunday morning.
One person is in critical condition at Marian Regional Medical Center.
Based on initial investigation, Santa Maria Police say the car, with six teenage passengers — some of them high school students — appeared to have traveled at a high rate of speed into this traffic signal pole and left four of the passengers dead at the scene.
Another person in the car died from their injuries at Marian Regional Medical Center, and one person is in critical condition.
“This is a tragic event,” says Santa Maria Police Department’s Lt. Todd Logan. “Our heart goes out to the families and the victims of this and to the community.”
Preliminary evidence indicates alcohol may have factored into the crash.
Santa Maria Police officers are trying verify if both the high speed and alcohol played a role.
Identities of the deceased are being withheld pending notification of their families.
“There was evidence at the scene that would suggest that might be a possibility, but we're exploring those options for the purpose of the investigation,” says Lt. Logan. “We want to make sure we cover all our bases and not just singularly focus to one thing being a primary factor.”
The severity of the crash caused both sides of South Broadway to be closed as the investigation started in the early hours of Sunday morning.
“We probably know them,” says Fighting Back Santa Maria Valley’s director Edwin Weaver. “I’m sure most of us are either related to these five kids or have 1 or 2 steps of removal. Santa Maria Valley is a small place, in that we're all connected. And so knowing that this these five lives lost are going to impact all of us.”
Your news team is working on confirming details with local authorities but it appears the victims of the crash were teenagers.
“Our mental health clinicians have been working with our team because we know the families that were involved,” says Weaver. “I know the law enforcement, they're having to take care of each other, having to deal with that scene.”
Administrators of local schools acknowledge the tragic nature of the incident and confirm three of them were local high school students, but they are unable to comment on the active investigation.
“We obviously want to encourage all parents, especially about this time with graduations coming up,” says Lt. Logan. “There's so many life changes and milestones that are happening in young people's lives to have those conversations with them and remind them to be safe.”
Non-profit organization “Fighting Back Santa Maria Valley” joins the Police Department in recommending extra caution for the week of commencement.
“Kids. Be careful. It's grad week,” says Weaver. “Parents, please have this conversation. Don't hesitate.”
Those with more information on the crash are asked to contact the SMPD.
GoFundMe pages for some of the victims and their families can be found by clicking here and here.
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