Authorities have identified three people killed in a car crash at the end of a police pursuit that started in Rancho Cucamonga on Friday as teenagers.
The teens were inside a black Hyundai being chased by San Bernardino County sheriff’s deputies who suspected the driver of being under the influence, the Sheriff’s Department said. The coroner’s office has identified them as Joel Jeremiah Silva, 16, of Fontana; Jesus Guillen Jr., 16, of Fontana; and Michael Adrian Gomez, 17, of Pomona.
Deputies from the Rancho Cucamonga station tried to pull over the Hyundai at around 2 a.m. at the intersection of Foothill Boulevard and Archibald Avenue, authorities said. The vehicle fled and crashed six minutes later into a white Ford Mustang and swerved into a pole at North Mountain Avenue and West 16th Street in Upland, according to KTLA-TV’s footage.
In a statement, law enforcement said the Hyundai was split into three pieces and four of the vehicle’s five occupants were killed. A 13-year-old inside the car was the only survivor. Officials have not identified the fourth person who died or who inside the vehicle was the driver.
Deputies said the Hyundai matched the report of a stolen car from Fontana and that one of the teens killed in the crash was carrying a loaded gun. The Sheriff’s Department is investigating the car chase and Upland police are investigating the fatal crash. Neither department immediately responded to a request for comment from The Times.
