Speeding Cited As Factor In Fiery Crash That Killed Driver, Seriously Burned Passenger
SILVERADO (CBSLA.com) — Authorities believe speed was a factor in a fiery crash that left a 19-year-old driver dead and his passenger with serious burns in Silverado early Sunday morning.
The driver crashed into a tree and the car burst into flames, officials said.
Firefighters were dispatched to Santiago Canyon Road north of Modjeska Canyon Road around 2 a.m., said Orange County Fire Authority Capt. Steve Concialdi.
Two passersby were able to pull the passenger out of the 1995 Nissan, but the driver -- identified by the CHP as Cesar Hernandez of Santa Ana -- died in the fiery wreck, Concialdi said.
The injured man, identified by the CHP as Santa Ana resident Alejandro Lopez, suffered second- and third-degree burns to his hands, arms and legs and was in serious condition when taken to the burn center at Western Medical Center in Santa Ana, Concialdi said.
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