Friends Say 2 Killed In Wilmington Crash Were Banning High School Students
WILMINGTON (CBSLA.com) — A violent crash in Wilmington claimed the lives of two people identified by friends as Banning High School students. Three other people were injured.
The crash unfolded on Pacific Coast Highway at the cross of Island Avenue Thursday afternoon and forced the closure of two blocks of the thoroughfare for hours.
Friends identified the victims as 18-year-old and 17-year-old siblings, Lexi Garcia and Eli Garcia, both Banning High School students. Police, however, have not released the names of the deceased.
"They were close to each other. I always see them together," Angel Martinez, a friend of the victims, said.
Hours after the crash, the bodies of the victims remained in the car covered by a tarp as horrified family members stood by.
"Like screeching but loud, tires screeching and then 'Boom.' You just heard the impact," said Mike Ramirez, who heard the crash.
Friends said Lexi was driving her boyfriend's car with her brother in the passenger seat and two other female students in the backseat. Police said their car and a truck were driving westbound in the eastbound lanes on PCH, lost control, and veered into another vehicle.
Police said the two female passengers in the backseat of that vehicle are in the hospital. The driver of the other vehicle hit sustained minor injuries.
Police said speed was a factor in the crash and are looking at the possibility of street racing.
"I guess she was just driving pretty fast and it just happened but I don't think it was racing," Martinez said.
Police are looking for a truck they described as a dark-colored American model pickup truck. Anyone with information about that vehicle was asked to call police.
