Counselors were on hand Monday at Maranatha High School in Pasadena following a high-speed weekend crash that killed three people and injured three others, some of whom had ties to the campus.
A Tesla Model 3 sedan with six people inside was being driven west on Foothill Boulevard around 100 mph and crashed into a building shortly before 3 a.m. Saturday near Foothill and Vista Avenue, Pasadena police Lt. Anthony Russo said.
Investigators reportedly planned to look into whether the Tesla’s autopilot feature was engaged at the time of the crash.
The Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner identified two of the three men who died as the driver, Moheb Reda Samuel, 22, and Stefan Pfeiffer, 20, both of Pasadena. The name of the third man who died, who was in his 20s, was withheld pending notification of his next of kin, however, co-workers told ABC7 he was Esrom Fessemaye. The third victim was also a Pasadena resident, police said.
Of the three survivors, two are Pasadena residents, and one is a Monrovia resident, according to police, who reported that all three remain hospitalized in stable condition and were expected to survive.
Three of the people involved in the crash were current or former Maranatha High students. ABC7 reported that one of the survivors is Samuel’s younger sister, and everyone involved in the crash was between 17 and 22 years old. Pfeiffer was a Pasadena City College student and an Eagle Scout, according to Channel 7.
“Our two current students are in the process of being healed, we hope. And one of our former students did not make it,” Maranatha Head of School John Rouse told reporters Monday.
Rouse said more than a dozen counselors were on hand at the campus Monday to assist students and staff, and the previously planned Senior Ditch Day event was canceled.
“We’re going to spend our time this morning praying with them and encouraging them,” Rouse told reproters. “Again, no one can know what our students are feeling. We are here just to empathize with them, to listen to them.”
According to Pasadena city spokeswoman Lisa Derderian, “663 residents and businesses were without power due to the initial crash and all power was restored in increments with all up and running around 4 p.m. on Saturday.”
“The structure that was hit was yellow tagged and sustained significant damage,” Derderian said in a statement Monday morning.
“Thankfully it was vacant and nobody was in it at the time,” Derderian said. “Very tragic accident any day but especially on Mother’s Day weekend, graduation and prom season with so many reasons to celebrate so many families will be mourning. Especially hard on our first responders to see the devastation and lives lost.”
According to Russo, the crash remains under investigation.
“There is evidence that alcohol may have been involved but we do not know if the driver was under the influence or impaired at this time,” Russo said in a statement on Monday. “The medical examiner will conduct a toxicology screening on the driver.”
Russo said the driver allegedly “ran the red light” at Sierra Madre Boulevard.
“Our preliminary estimate is the vehicle was traveling over 100 mph at that time,” Russo said. “There were four people in the backseat. Only one was wearing a seatbelt. The other three rear passengers were ejected and 1 of those is among the deceased.”
Russo told the Pasadena Star-News the survivors were two females and a male.