Three local students were among five people killed when a vehicle slammed into a traffic signal in Santa Maria over the weekend.
The crash was reported at around 1:40 a.m. Sunday at the intersection of South Broadway and Miller Street.
Police initially said four people were pronounced dead at the scene and two others were hospitalized. One of the two reportedly died shortly after. Police have not released an update on the condition of the sixth person involved.
“We are deeply troubled by this incredible tragedy, just before the start of our last week of the school year,’’ Santa Maria Joint Union High School District Public Information Officer Kenny Klein said in a press release.
Klein says one of the victims attended Pioneer Valley High School, another attended Santa Maria High School, and a third was currently enrolled at Delta High School, but previously attended Pioneer Valley.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with their families, friends, and school communities,” Klein said, adding that counseling services will be available all week.
Among those being remembered is 17-year-old Yusbeli "Ava" Diaz, a student at Pioneer Valley High School. Her family shared photos and memories of their daughter, who they say always had a smile on her face.
"Well, she was a happy girl... like in the photos we have... when she was little... she was happy," her mother, Juana Galvez Ignacio, said.
Galvez Ignacio recounted memories of Ava's 17th birthday celebration in December.
"These are the last photos she took that day of her birthday," Galvez Ignacio said.
Ava's mother says her daughter had recently enrolled at Grizzly Youth Academy in San Luis Obispo and was preparing to begin the program in August.
Ava's father says Saturday night started like any other. He was the last person to speak with her before she left home to meet friends. Ava told her father her mother had made food, then served him a plate, and said she would be back later.
In a message posted to Facebook, Ava's family described her as a loving, kind-hearted young woman who had a special way of bringing joy to everyone around her.
Following the crash, Ava was taken to the hospital, where her family says she fought for about an hour before she died from her injuries.
Flowers, balloons, candles, and pictures now line a fence near the scene of the crash.
Police say they are investigating whether alcohol or speed could have been contributing factors.
Santa Maria Police continue working to determine exactly what led to the crash.
"We're still trying to gather statements from potential witnesses and gather other hopefully some other items of evidence... hoping to gather video footage if it's available and so we're still exploring a lot of different avenues at this time," Lt. Todd Logan said.
According to Logan, officers will conduct a full reconstruction of the crash based on physical evidence from the scene. Investigators are still working to identify the exact position of each person in the vehicle at the time of the crash.
"We're still trying to examine to determine who was who inside the vehicle," Logan said.
Logan stressed the importance of safety behind the wheel.
"Value life because it's fragile and I would encourage parents to please have that conversation with your children, especially that are of high school age and that are driving, to be cautious," Logan said.
Police have yet to release the names of the victims and are encouraging anyone with additional information related to the crash to call the Santa Maria Police Department Traffic Unit at (805) 928-3781.
Community Reporter Crystal Bermudez has spoken with family and friends of the victims and will have more on this story Monday on KSBY News at 5 and 6 p.m.
