Natalia Vidal Zarate,Emanuel Gonzalez Martinez Obituary, Death;- Authorities announced on Wednesday the identification of another victim from the tragic traffic accident that occurred over the weekend in Santa Ana.
The fourth victim confirmed is 16-year-old Jacqueline Torres Zarate, a resident of Santa Ana, as stated by Sgt. Gerard McCann from the Orange County Sheriff’s Department.
The previously identified victims include 17-year-old Natalia Vidal Zarate, 18-year-old Emanuel Gonzalez Martinez, and 20-year-old Arely Robles, all from Santa Ana, according to McCann.
Officer Natalie Garcia of the Santa Ana Police Department reported that Martinez was driving at the time of the incident.
A 13-year-old girl remains on life support with little hope of survival, while a 15-year-old girl is currently in critical condition, Garcia noted.
The accident, which is still under investigation, took place around 11:25 p.m. on Saturday on Segerstrom Avenue, situated between Raitt and Greenville streets, just a few blocks west of Carl Thornton Park, according to police reports. According to Garcia, a four-door Lexus sedan was speeding westbound on Segerstrom Avenue when it collided with a tree.
Four individuals were declared dead at the scene, while paramedics transported two others to a hospital. Santa Ana police confirmed on Monday that a fifth individual had succumbed to their injuries.
Among the occupants of the vehicle, two were adults and four were teenagers attending high schools in Santa Ana. Additionally, some of the victims were related, and all five individuals in the vehicle were female, Garcia reported.
The investigation into the cause of the crash is still in its early stages, but Garcia indicated that speed is believed to be a significant contributing factor.
