4 from Garden Grove Among 6 Dead in Crash

Two cars racing along Interstate 15 spun out of control Friday, killing six people, four of them from Garden Grove, officials said.

California Highway Patrol Officer Tim Maley said a red Acura, a black Acura and a green pickup were racing when the accident occurred. The black car swerved into the red car in an attempt to avoid hitting the truck, Maley said. The red car spun out of control, crashing across a wide median and into a northbound vehicle.

A man, a woman and a dog in the northbound car died. Three people in the red car died immediately and a fourth died later at a Las Vegas hospital.

The black car’s occupants were unhurt. The pickup left the scene and police were seeking the driver for questioning.

The occupants of the northbound vehicle were from Bonsall in northern San Diego County, Maley said. The victims in the red Acura were apparently all related. None of the victims’ names were released, pending notification of relatives.

“They were playing some sort of tag with their cars,” Maley said. Eyewitnesses put the speed of the vehicles at more than 100 mph, he said.

Several lanes were closed for more than three hours.