NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. – Five people killed in a fiery California crash that split a car in half were believed to be teenagers from the Irvine area, but the coroner was still trying to confirm the identity of one victim, authorities said Tuesday.
The names of the three females and two males killed in the Monday afternoon wreck were expected to be released later in the afternoon, said Jim Amormino, a spokesman for the Orange County Sheriff's Department.
The Infiniti sedan carrying the five people veered off a road around 5:20 p.m. and hit a tree, said Kathy Lowe, Newport Beach police spokeswoman. The impact split the car and it caught fire, she said.
"It was a horrific accident," Lowe said, adding that investigators were on scene for nearly 12 hours overnight.
Speed was believed to be a factor in the wreck, she said.
The posted speed limit on Jamboree Road, a major street in south Orange County, is 55 mph. Lowe declined to say how fast the Infiniti was going, citing the ongoing investigation.
Four people were ejected from the car and died immediately.
A fifth was partially ejected and later declared dead at a hospital.
No other vehicles were involved.
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