ORANGE, California (KABC) – A 19-year-old man from Exeter has been identified as the driver of a fire collision in Orange on Saturday morning that left three people dead and four others, including two minors, injuries, police said. .
According to an update issued by the Orange Police Department, Azarie Fuller was driving a 2005 Nissan Altima with six more passengers.
At around 2:45 a.m., officers making a traffic stop on Lincoln Avenue and Glassell Street saw the car speeding south on Glassell Street and “tried to catch up,” he said. Sergeant Phil McMullin of the Orange Police Department. The Altima “Hit the railings and signal lights related to a railroad crossing,” the sergeant said.
None of the seven occupants of the car were wearing seat belts; Fuller and passengers were kicked out of the vehicle.
When officers arrived on Glassell Street and Taft Avenue, the sedan was engulfed in flames.
A nitrous oxide deposit and balloons were found “in and around the vehicle,” McMullin said.
“When people put nitrous oxide in a balloon, it creates a temporary high and can cause deterioration,” he said. “In this case, we believe it could have been used or contributed to the collision.”
Three people died at the scene, including a young man, a 14-year-old girl and a 26-year-old man who has been identified as Gustavo Castro of Garden Grove.
Paramedics transported four people, including Fuller, to hospitals.
“It’s in critical condition,” McMullin said. “He is currently in a local hospital and, based on the evidence and statements we have received, we believe he was deteriorating and was probably a factor in the collision along with speed.”
Three suffered critical injuries and one had moderate injuries, McMullin said.
According to investigators, two of the three seriously injured people were young.
“We know for sure that speed is a factor,” McMullin told reporters at the crash site. “We also believe they were using nitrous oxide, based on tanks and balloons that were found at the scene, the driver was damaged.” Investigators also believe that alcohol and drugs may also have played a role in the crash in addition to speeding.
Meanwhile, some of the victim’s heartbroken relatives were seen mourning at the scene on Saturday afternoon.
A witness said he was shocked by the crash.
“I had never seen him before,” Joshua Ellis said. “It was shocking to see this fire on a railroad crossing. I had never seen it before. The car when I found it, was next to it. The flames shone in the air. Black smoke everywhere. The smell of burnt metal and rubber and everything that was everywhere. “
Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call the Orange Police Department at (714) 744-7444.
The City News Service has contributed to this report.
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