2 O.C. Men Identified as Victims in Fatal Crash; 2 Others Injured

Two people fatally injured in a car crash late Tuesday in Redondo Beach were identified Thursday as Orange County residents.

Four men were in a 1998 Buick that crashed into a palm tree Tuesday night, said Sgt. Paul Rossiter of the Redondo Beach Police Department. Matthew Sackett, 34, of Huntington Beach and Dan Rappolo, 61, of Newport Beach died at the scene, he said.

Robert Zumberge Jr., 46, of San Clemente and Achim Schmidt, 36, from Georgia were taken to Los Angeles County Harbor-UCLA Medical Center near Torrance with non-life-threatening injuries, he said. Schmidt was released Thursday morning, while Zumberge remained hospitalized in stable condition.

The incident happened at 11:35 p.m. at Portofino Way and Harbor Drive, Rossiter said. The four men, all employees of Heidelberg USA Inc., a printing company, were in the South Bay area for a business seminar, he said.

They had been at a restaurant and were on their way back to their hotel when the driver, Sackett, apparently lost control of the car and hit a tree.

Only Schmidt, who was sitting in the front passenger seat, was wearing a seat belt, police said. Authorities said alcohol may have been a factor in the crash and are awaiting a toxicology report as the investigation continues.