Laguna Hills High Teens Identified as Crash Victims : Accident: The three youths were popular students. Their car spun out of control and veered into oncoming traffic on Aliso Creek Road, authorities say.

Three people killed when their car spun out of control at high speed, veered into opposing traffic and collided with an oncoming car were identified Wednesday as teen-age friends from Laguna Hills and Lake Forest.

The fatal crash occurred shortly after 10 p.m. Tuesday on Aliso Creek Road, just south of Windsong, in an unincorporated area of the county between Laguna Beach and Laguna Hills, a spokesman for the California Highway Patrol said.

Killed were the 16-year-old driver, Brian Voight of Laguna Hills, and his two female passengers, 15-year-old Tracy Myers of Lake Forest, who was riding in the right front seat, and 14-year-old Heather Zito of Laguna Hills, who was riding in the right rear seat, investigators said.

All three were dead at the scene, a coroner’s official said.

Critically injured was the driver of the other car, 50-year-old Edward Tilden, who suffered a broken wrist, a broken ankle, head injuries and deep chest bruises. Tilden’s condition was upgraded to serious late Wednesday, according to a spokeswoman for Mission Hospital Regional Medical Center in Mission Viejo.

Officials at Laguna Hills High School, where the three teen-agers were popular students, reacted with shock Wednesday.

“What makes it so particularly sad is to have three beautiful teen-agers taken at so young an age,” said Frances Griffith, the guidance specialist at the school. “It’s an immense tragedy for all of us, especially for the families and their loved ones.”

Griffith said that when school resumes Monday, officials expect to spend much of their time counseling students stricken by the loss.

“When something like this happens, it doesn’t impact for a day. It goes in waves,” she said. “It’s very difficult for our young people to deal with a tragedy like this. It’s unbelievably horrible. I still can’t believe it happened.”

The official cause of death for all three was listed as “massive internal injuries due to blunt-force trauma,” a spokesman for the county coroner’s office said Wednesday.

None of the three appeared to have been drinking, and each was wearing a seat belt, CHP spokesman Bruce Lian said.

Witnesses reported that Voight appeared to be driving at more than 70 m.p.h. when he lost control of his 1985 Ford Mustang, which, at a curve in the road, veered sharply into the opposing, or southbound, lanes of Aliso Creek Road, Lian said.

The 1992 Chevrolet Camaro driven by Tilden smashed into Voight’s car on the right front passenger door, nearly shearing the Mustang in half, investigators said. The road was closed for five hours late Tuesday and early Wednesday while officers examined the wreckage.

Tilden might have been killed were it not for his driver’s side air bag, which activated and cushioned the impact of the crash, Lian said.

Tracy Myers’ father said Wednesday that she “was not only a sweet girl and a good student but also a kind and beautiful person who was always there to help others.”

Services for Voight will be at 5 p.m. Saturday at O’Connor Mortuary in Laguna Hills. Visitation will be at 4 p.m.

Arrangements for Myers or Zito have not been announced.