2 young men found dead at crash scene in H.B.; another is injured

Two 18-year-old men were pronounced dead at the scene early Saturday after their vehicle crashed into a light pole in Huntington Beach. Another man was hospitalized in connection with the crash.

Officers responded to the area of Warner Avenue and Algonquin Street at 2:08 a.m. and found a 1997 Buick LeSabre on the roadway, Huntington Beach police said.

Officials found the bodies of two men in the vehicle. They were identified by the Orange County coroner’s office as Joshua Holmsen of Huntington Beach and Austin Mitchell. Authorities did not release Mitchell’s city of residence.

A third man, believed to be in his early 20s, was found outside the vehicle and was taken to UCI Medical Center in Orange in critical condition. It is unclear whether he was a pedestrian or was ejected from the vehicle, police said. He is expected to survive, authorities said.

According to a preliminary investigation, the Buick was traveling at high speed west on Warner when it crashed into a light pole at Algonquin, police said.

It is unknown whether drugs or alcohol were factors in the crash, police said.

Anyone with information about the case is asked to call Huntington Beach police Investigator Robert Barr at (714) 536-5666 or Investigator Josh Page at (714) 536-5670.