Awful photo shows crushed and burned car four young friends died in because of drunk driver's selfishness
At around 1 am on July 20, the group of 24-year-olds was driving home from a concert when their Nissan crashed into a California Highway Patrol vehicle.
The impact sent their Nissan into another lane, and the car was disabled by the collision.
That's when a Kia sedan slammed into the back of the Nissan at high speed, causing the car to burst into flames and trapping the four youngsters inside.
Tragically, all four of the friends died due to the collision on the 605 Freeway.
According to officials, the Nissan's driver was drunk. 'This was entirely preventable due to the fact that one of the drivers was driving under the influence,' said CHP Officer Zachary Salazar.
The victims were identified as Julie Harmori, her boyfriend Armando Del Campo, and their two friends, Jordan Partidge and Sam Skocili.
They were pronounced dead at the scene.
Kathy Stickel, Harmori's aunt, said that Partridge had called her mother after the initial crash with the CHP vehicle to let her know that the group had been in accident, but that they were okay.
However, in the middle of the call, the line went dead. This was the moment the Kia slammed into their car.
Stickel said that the four youngsters had formed deep-rooted friendships with one another that stretched back many years.
'She was about the relationships,' Stickel said of her niece, adding that the group had been friends since junior high school.
At this difficult time, the families of all four victims are turning to each other for support.
'All the parents are checking on each other,' Stickel said. 'They're also checking on people who they've met through this whole tragedy.'
Family members created a joint GoFundMe page to raise money for funeral expenses.
'Proceeds will be divided evenly among the four families' parents, as they scramble to memorialize their children,' the fundraiser page read.
The Kia driver, Iris Salmeron, 26, of Bellflower, and her passenger, who was unidentified, were taken to the hospital with serious injuries.
Salmeron was arrested and is now facing multiple felony charges, including driving under the influence.
CHP Officer Salazar said: 'Our hearts go out to the families who are involved in terms of the victims…our officers are going to investigate this to the best of their ability.'
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