A Warren High School student was killed and two others were injured when a gray Nissan Altima went off the Santa Ana (5) Freeway in Downey, struck a light pole and rolled about 200 yards down an embankment, authorities said Monday.
The crash occurred at about 10:50 p.m. Saturday on the southbound Santa Ana Freeway north of the San Gabriel River (605) Freeway, according to California Highway Patrol Officer E. Torres.
The driver, Dajon Hancox, 17, of Compton was driving the 2010 Altima when the car “veered to the right and collided into a raised asphalt curb and then traveled off the roadway into a metal light pole,” Torres said. “The Nissan continued down a dirt embankment and rolled several times.”
Hancox was the only person wearing a seatbelt, the officer said. Two passengers in the car were ejected from the vehicle.
All three males were taken to St. Francis Medical Center with major injuries, and 17-year-old Jaylen Connish of Carson was pronounced dead, Torres said.
A social media account for the Warren High School athletics department noted the three victims in the crash were all members of the school’s football team.
“For anyone who knew (Connish), they could attest to the fact that he was a remarkable young man,” according to a Warren High School statement. “He always had a smile on his face, and that smile truly lifted your spirit. He was a tremendous athlete and an even better young man. He signed with Western New Mexico where he planned on continuing his football career and studying business and accounting.”
Officers did not release the name or other details about the second passenger, who remains unconscious in the hospital, Torres said.
The crash investigation continued and anyone with information was asked to call 562-868-0503.