A fifth person out of six has died from their injuries after a vehicle crashed into a tree in Santa Ana late Saturday night. As seen on the NBC4 News at 11 p.m. on April 6, 2025.
An investigation is underway after a high-speed driver slammed into a tree in Santa Ana, killing four people in the vehicle.
The crash was reported just after 11:30 p.m. Saturday on Segerstrom Avenue near Townsend Street. There, a vehicle split in half after its driver lost control while traveling at a high rate of speed and struck a tree in the center divider, according to the Santa Ana Police Department.
Six people, one male and five females, were in the vehicle at the time of the crash, with four of those individuals succumbing to their injuries. Initial reports indicated five people were killed, but Santa Ana police said Monday that one person remains in critical condition and another is in stable condition.
Two people were ejected in the crash and three others were trapped in the vehicle.
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Several of the vehicle's occupants were teenagers and at least five are from the Santa Ana Unified School District.
While the investigation is ongoing, police believe drugs or alcohol may have been a factor in the crash. Investigators are seeking surveillance footage from nearby homes that may have captured the crash or moments leading up to it.
"It's a very difficult situation and incident. I mean, I can only imagine what they're going through and how they're feeling. We're trying to work the scene as fast as possible to make the proper notifications along with the Orange County Coroner's Office. But it's based on the severity of this incident. It's going to take a little bit of time," said Natalie Garcia with Santa Ana police.
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Flowers, crosses and other items were left at a memorial over the weekend at the site of the crash.
Police have not released the names of the deceased.
