5 Die After Car Plunges Off Freeway

Four young men and a teenage girl were killed Thursday when the car they were in went out of control on the Antelope Valley Freeway during an apparent race reaching speeds of up to 100 mph, authorities said.

The car, an Acura Legend, careened off the freeway and plunged down a 75-foot embankment, said Officer Doug Sweeney, a spokesman for the California Highway Patrol.

Vanessa Yusi, the driver of the car and a 17-year-old senior at Highland High School in Palmdale, survived the crash and was flown by helicopter to Henry Mayo Newhall Memorial Hospital in Valencia, Sweeney said. She died there about 5:40 p.m. after undergoing surgery, a hospital spokeswoman said.

Also killed were Vanessa’s boyfriend, 19-year-old Shaun Perez, 20-year-old Jovannie Solano, and 25-year-old John Kenneth Chu, authorities said. The fifth victim was an 18-year-old male, but his identity was being withheld because his family had not been notified.

At the hospital, more than a dozen friends and family members stood vigil into the evening.

Andral Hagos, who was in one of the other cars, sat sobbing in the lobby, his hands cradling his head.

“We really messed up,” Hagos said, choking back tears.

“[Vanessa] was in the car behind me and I saw her go off . . . “

The young man’s voice then trailed off as he was overcome by tears. He walked away, unable to speak.

Three of the four passengers in the car were graduates of Highland High School, a school official said. Perez attended Palmdale High School, where he played fullback on the football team.

Three of the victims died when they were ejected from the car. A fourth died inside the vehicle, Sweeney said. None was thought to have been wearing a seat belt, Sweeney said.

The group of friends were apparently racing young people in three other cars to a gathering in Long Beach when the accident occurred about 1 p.m. about 15 miles north of the city of Santa Clarita, Sweeney said.

“They were weaving in and out of traffic at 80 to 100 mph,” Sweeney said.

Witnesses told police the accident happened when the driver of the Acura suddenly attempted to change from the middle lane to the far right lane while traveling at a high rate of speed. She lost control of the car and flew off the embankment, the car rolling several times before it came to rest at the bottom of a ravine, witnesses said.

Sweeney said the five victims were friends with the people in the other cars, some of whom were also Highland students or recent graduates.

He said all three cars stopped after the accident and that their drivers and passengers--12 people in all--were questioned.

“They denied that they were racing. They just said they were driving fast,” Sweeney said. “This will be a rather lengthy investigation. There were a number of witnesses to this accident, all of whom will have to be interviewed.”

Just before dusk on Thursday, about a half dozen young people who were in the other cars headed to Long Beach emerged from a CHP van parked alongside the 14 Freeway, where they had been questioned by accident investigators.

Sullen, some with tears in their eyes, they hugged one another as they walked to their cars. They declined to speak to a reporter. Ranging in age from 16 to 20, some of the young men wore popular baggy-style jeans. At least one of the cars involved in the alleged race appeared to be customized for racing.

One of the victims, Perez, was remembered Thursday night as a serious competitor by his former high school football coach.

“He was a very coachable young man,” said Jeff Williams. “He was pleasurable to have around. He was a no-nonsense type of kid. He played for us on back-to-back Gold League championships.”

After learning of the accident, Williams went to Perez’s home to console the family.

“I got the call and headed out,” Williams said. “We want to be there for Shaun’s mom. He was one of those kids who brought a lot of positiveness into our program and we are going to miss him a lot.”

News of the accident had just reached school officials Thursday afternoon.

“This is major, major, major sad,” said Robert Girolamo, superintendent of the Antelope Valley Union High School District. “Like anyone else, it’s hard for me to hear about young people getting hurt.”

Antelope Valley students are on spring break this week. When Highland High students return next week, Girolamo said there will be crisis counselors on the campus to help students with their grief.

“Young people have a particularly hard time because this doesn’t happen to them,” he said. “Young people don’t die.”

One student, who asked not to be named, said Vanessa was in his English class and worked in an earring store after school.

“She’s a cool person,” the fellow senior said. “We used to mess with her and tell her she looked like the girl from ‘The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.’ ”

He described Solano as a joker.

“He was in my math class. He used to always come in late. And he’d always have an excuse--a different one every time.”

Times staff writers Kristina Sauerwein and Martha L. Willman also contributed to this story.