The identities of the two teenagers and two adults killed in a fiery collision stemming from apparent reckless driving on Interstate 15 in Temecula were all confirmed Friday.
Jacob Labib, 13, of La Palma; Mina Sabet, 14, of Downey; Yostena Sabet, 22, of Downey; and Nicholas Callans, 36, of Wildomar, were fatally injured Saturday night on I-15, just north of Winchester Road, according to the California Highway Patrol.
A 25-year-old Moreno Valley man, whose name wasn’t released, was critically injured in the crash and remained under intensive care Friday.
CHP Officer Mike Lassig said about 9:30 p.m. Saturday, the Moreno Valley man was at the wheel of a BMW M4 traveling northbound on I-15, “reported as driving recklessly,” when he lost control.
Lassig said the sedan slammed into the concrete median separating the north- and southbound sides of the freeway, jumped the barrier and landed in oncoming traffic, steering across all southbound lanes until colliding with a Nissan Sentra being driven by Callans in the slow lane.
“As a result of the crash, the BMW caught fire and became fully engulfed,” the CHP spokesman said.
He said other motorists immediately stopped and ran to the burning vehicle, succeeding in pulling the severely injured Moreno Valley man to safety. The two teens in the rear seat and Yostena Sabet in the front passenger seat of the BMW perished in the flames.
Riverside County Fire Department personnel extinguished the blaze minutes later.
Callans was taken to Inland Valley Medical Center in Wildomar, where he was pronounced dead on arrival. His front seat passenger, identified only as a 22-year-old man, was taken to the same hospital for treatment of major injuries, Lassig said.
The victim remained under intensive care Friday.
“Alcohol is not believed to be a contributing factor in this collision,” Lassig said, adding that CHP investigators nonetheless intend to seek criminal charges against the BMW driver.
Anyone with information relevant to the investigation was asked to contact the agency’s Temecula office at 951-466-4300.