3 teenagers killed in crash after pursuit lasted just 6 minutes in Upland, sheriff says
A 13-year-old boy was the only survivor of a violent crash that ended a high-speed pursuit in Upland last week which left four people dead, including three teenagers who were identified by authorities Monday.
Two 16-year-old boys and a 17-year-old boy were killed in the collision following a chase that started Friday near Foothill Boulevard and Archibald Avenue in Rancho Cucamonga and ended just six minutes later in an intersection in Upland about five miles away, according to the San Bernardino County Sheriff-Coroner Department. The fourth person who died has not been identified.
They were all inside a black 2018 Hyundai sedan when a deputy tried pulling the driver over on suspicion of DUI around 1:48 a.m., sheriff's officials said. The driver allegedly refused to pull over, according to sheriff's officials, and was traveling west on 16th Street before entering the intersection with Mountain Avenue and slamming into a 2010 white Mustang.
The car veered off and struck a pole before catching on fire and splitting into three different parts, officials said. All five people inside the car were ejected from the vehicle, including the 13-year-old boy who survived.
The boy was rushed to a nearby hospital and expected to survive his injuries, according to the sheriff's department.
Meanwhile, the other four people in the Hyundai were all pronounced dead at the scene. The two people inside the Mustang — a 35-year-old man and 21-year-old woman both from Ontario — survived their injuries and were taken to a hospital.
Mara Rodriguez, a spokesperson for the sheriff's department, identified three of the four people killed as Jesus Guillen, 16, and Joel Jeremiah Silva, 16, both from Fontana, and 17-year-old Michael Adrian Gomez of Pomona.
Sheriff's officials said the Hyundai was reported stolen out of Fontana and a loaded gun was found on one of the four people killed.
The department said three different investigations have been launched into the incident including the Rancho Cucamonga Station of the sheriff's department investigating the pursuit, the coroner working to identify all the victims and their causes of death and the Upland Police Department's probe into the crash itself.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Rancho Cucamonga Police Department at 909-477-2800. Those wishing to remain anonymous should call the We-Tip line at 1-800-78-CRIME (27463) or visit wetip.com. Callers should reference Case No. DR# 112407120.