2 Killed in 101 Crash Named

The California Highway Patrol has identified two people killed this week when their disabled car was hit on the southbound Ventura Freeway in Thousand Oaks by a suspected drunk driver.

Shantile Stanton of Reseda and German Bonilla of Mission Hills, both 19, died Thursday evening when their Buick Skylark was rear-ended by a car driven by George Henderson, 19, of Moorpark, authorities said.

The two were returning home after shopping in Camarillo with Bonilla’s family.

Stanton, who was driving, pulled the vehicle onto the center divider about 5:45 p.m. after it developed mechanical problems in heavy stop-and-go traffic on the southbound Ventura Freeway near Ventu Park Road, authorities said.

According to witnesses, Henderson had pulled his car onto the center divider to pass traffic and was traveling 70 to 80 mph before it hit the Skylark.

Stanton’s car was pushed about 200 feet onto the highway.

Firefighters had to extricate the couple, who were pronounced dead.

The families of both victims learned of the tragedy at the scene, said CHP Officer Steve Reid.

Stanton had called her father after her car broke down, and he had come to help her.

Bonilla’s family members, meanwhile, who were on the highway in front of the couple, had retraced their route after the pair didn’t arrive at their homes.

Reid said Stanton had pulled into the center of the highway because she couldn’t get her car over to the right.

“The victim does the right thing by pulling into the center divider, with the expectation that she’d have some relative safety

Henderson and his passenger, Clinton Laquadra, 20, of Camarillo, suffered minor injuries, the CHP said.

Henderson was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol and marijuana, vehicular manslaughter and driving with a suspended license.

According to court records, he had previously been cited twice for speeding and was sentenced to five days in jail after pleading guilty last fall to driving under the influence.

He is scheduled to be arraigned Monday in the latest case.