Two young men killed in a fiery high-impact car crash into a building in Huntington Beach were recent graduates of a Peninsula High School in Rolling Hills Estates, the school’s principal said.
The crash at the intersection of Warner Avenue and Edwards Street occurred about 1:45 a.m. Friday, according to Huntington Beach Fire Department Battalion Chief Mike McClanahan.
The victims, who both died at the scene, were identified as 18-year-old Hachim Ali Awad of the class of 2015, and Ali Diba Nourollahi, 19, of the class of 2014, officials said.
Both were residents of Rancho Palos Verdes, according to the Daily Breeze.
“The Peninsula High community is just devastated by this sad news,” Principal Mitzi Cress told City News Service.
Grief counselors were made available at the school once officials learned of the deaths early Friday afternoon and will be on hand again on Monday, Cress said.
“We extend our deepest condolences to Hachim and Ali’s family and friends,” Cress said in a message issued today to the school community.
McClanahan said the two were outside of the vehicle when firefighters reached them.
“When we arrived at the scene we found two men laying out on the street,” McClanahan said. “Their vehicle which had crashed into a building on the corner had caught fire and the fire had spread to the apartment building.”
Firefighters put out the flames and kept the fire from burning any of the apartments, which were temporarily evacuated over structural concerns. Residents of two units were displaced because of smoke damage, McClanahan said.
McClanahan said the two men may have been pulled from the car by bystanders.
They were in a black, late-model Lexus sedan that was believed to have been traveling at a high rate of speed when the crash occurred, police said.
Impairment also may have played a role in the crash, according to police.
Funeral arrangements for the young men were pending.
Anyone with information about the crash was asked to contact Huntington Beach Police Accident Investigator Robert Barr at (714) 536-5666 or Accident Investigator Josh Page at (714) 536-5670.
— City News Service