Fiery Car Crash Kills Five Teens in Newport Beach

Speed was a factor, according to police

Five teens died in a fiery crash in Newport Beach on Monday afternoon —  four at the scene and one at a hospital, authorities said.

Updated Article: Speed "Was a Factor" in Deadly Crash

The crash happened at about 5:20 p.m. on Jamboree Road just north of Island Lagoon Drive, near the Newport Beach Country Club, according to Kathy Lowe, spokeswoman for the Newport Beach Police Department.

"We do believe speed was a contributing factor in this accident," Lowe said Tuesday morning.

She said the teens were all residents of Irvine.

The victims were identified early Tuesday as two boys and three girls, according to the Orange County Sheriff's Department. The victims' names were not available Tuesday morning.

The crash happened when an Infiniti traveling southbound on Jamboree veered off of the road and struck a tree on the center divider. The car split in half after striking the tree. One half caught fire, according to Lowe.

Four victims were ejected and died immediately. A fifth was partially ejected and died at a nearby hospital.

Drivers told NBC4 that cars tend to speed on that stretch of road, which has a 55 mph speed limit.

A skid mark leading through the median's grass was still visible Tuesday, and the tree with which the car had collided was largely stripped of its bark.

Lowe said speed and other factors, including whether alcohol was involved, were under investigation.

Contact Us