Three men were killed in an apparent hit-and-run crash early Tuesday in Anaheim, and two women who showed up at a hospital were being questioned by police.
Officers responded about 2:50 a.m. to Brookhurst Street and Orange Avenue, where they found a white Mercedes-Benz sedan abandoned and a black Kia with three men inside, all of whom were pronounced dead at the scene, according to Sgt. Shane Carringer of the Anaheim Police Department.
Witnesses saw two women in their 20s get out of the Mercedes and get into another vehicle, Carringer said. The women later showed up at an area hospital, where one woman was treated for minor injuries and the other was more seriously hurt and required surgery, he said.
The Mercedes was northbound on Brookhurst when it slammed into the Kia, which was exiting the parking lot of a hookah lounge, Carringer said. The Mercedes caught fire, but it was a small blaze that an officer on scene was able to extinguish, he said.
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Police were working to determine who picked up the women and what relationship, if any, the driver had with the driver and passenger of the Mercedes, Carringer said.
Investigators want to question the motorist as a witness, as well as anyone else who may have seen the collision, Carringer said, noting that they were working to determine who was at fault in the collision and whether it was a hit-and-run.
"Traffic investigators have their work cut out for them to figure out what happened and whether criminal charges are appropriate," Carringer said.
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Police did not immediately release the names of the men who died in the crash, but family members identified them as childhood friends, Jacob Rolon and Richard Zuniga. Gofundme sites were set up for Zuniga and Rolon to raise money for their funerals.
Brookhurst Street was closed until late Tuesday morning for the crash investigation and cleanup, Carringer said.
Witnesses were asked to call police at 714-765-1861.
