Sheriff's officials on Wednesday released the names of the five teenagers who died in a fiery crash while returning home from a night at Knott's Scary Farm.
The teens, previously named by friends and family, were identified by the coroner as Jennifer Bahena, 14 of Laguna Hills; Jennifer Campos, 15, of Aliso Viejo; Matthew Ivan Melo, 15, of Mission Viejo; Brandon Alejandro Moreno, 14, of Mission Viejo; and Alejandro (Alex) Sotelo, 14, of San Juan Capistrano, according to the Orange County Sheriff's Department.
The 16-year-old driver who survived, identified as Bradley Morales, did not have a license to drive, according to the California Highway Patrol. He was in serious but stable condition as of Wednesday, hospital officials said.
The teenagers were on the southbound 5 Freeway in Irvine returning home from a night at the Halloween-themed event in Buena Park when the white BMW sedan struck a guardrail, rolled off an embankment and became fully engulfed in flames on Oct. 4 just after 2 a.m., investigators said.
Four teens were found dead inside the car and Morales was found outside the car about 50 yards away, investigators said. The body of another teen was discovered inside the vehicle several hours after the crash.
Based on autopsy reports, Bahena, Campos and Melo died from multiple blunt force trauma injuries as a result of the crash, officials said Wednesday. The cause of death for Moreno and Sotelo was still pending.
"It's hard to believe," said Luciano Garcia, Campos's stepfather. "We think she is still here."
Local
Get Los Angeles's latest local news on crime, entertainment, weather, schools, COVID, cost of living and more. Here's your go-to source for today's LA news.
It is unclear if charges could be filed against the teen, who was driving the older model BMW, which was registered to a family member
The investigation was still ongoing, but CHP officials said speed may have played a role in the crash.
