Victims of fiery crash into apartments are identified

Authorities have identified two men who died early Friday in a fiery car crash in Huntington Beach.

Ali Nourollahi, 19, and Hachem Awad, 18, both of Rancho Palos Verdes, died about 2:14 a.m. when their Lexus crashed into the Casa Monterey Apartments on the northeast corner of Warner Avenue and Edwards Street, according to the Orange County coroner’s office.

Their car had caught fire, and good Samaritans pulled the two men out of the vehicle and attempted CPR but police and fire department personnel determined that the two men were dead, according to police.

A toxicology report, which can take up to two months to complete, will determine if alcohol was a factor in the crash, Sgt. Sam Shepherd of the Huntington Beach Police Department said last week.

The black Lexus apparently was traveling south on Edwards Street from Heil Avenue at high speed, authorities said. As it went over the flood control channel bridge it lost control and crashed into the apartment building.

Authorities also found a silver Volkswagen Jetta and a white Audi parked near the scene. Authorities interviewed the occupants of those cars to determine if they were involved in the crash or if they were witnesses to the crash.

The five occupants in the two vehicles were friends of the crash victims, police said.

Shepherd said it is unknown if the two vehicles were racing against one another, but it does not appear they crashed into one another.

Police ask anyone with information about the crash to call Huntington Beach Police accident investigator Robert Barr at 714-536-5666 or accident investigator Josh Page at 714-536-5670.