Matthew Andres Santome died after his car hit a tree in Yorba Linda on Friday night. The 15-year-old passenger remains in a critical condition, and the Orange County Sheriff’s Department says drugs and alcohol are not suspected.
A 16-year-old boy has died and a 15-year-old girl is critically ill after a car crash in Yorba Linda, California. Matthew Andres Santome, from Placentia, was driving when the collision happened at around 8pm on Friday. He was pronounced dead in hospital. The girl in the passenger seat, whose identity has not been made public, was reported to be in a critical condition on Saturday. The Orange County Sheriff’s Department is investigating.
What the sheriff’s department says
The department said two vehicles were involved. “One vehicle collided with a tree, while the second vehicle had minor damage,” it said. “As a result of the impact, two teenage minors suffered serious injuries and were transported to the hospital.”
No one else was hurt. The driver of the second vehicle stayed at the scene and co-operated with officers, the department said. It added: “Neither drugs or alcohol are suspected to be a contributing factor in this incident.”
Tributes from family and school
Matthew’s family set up a GoFundMe page, which described his death as “sudden and heartbreaking, leaving his family, friends and everyone who knew him devastated by this unimaginable loss”.
“Matthew was a kind, humorous, and motivated young man who brought laughter and joy to those around him,” the fundraiser said. “His personality, warm heart, and determination made him someone truly special. At just 16 years old, he had so much life ahead of him, and his loss leaves an emptiness that words cannot begin to describe.”
Michael Zides, principal of El Dorado High School, told NBC 4 that Matthew was a junior at the school. The injured girl attends Yorba Linda High School.
In a statement to the school community, Mr Zides said: “It is with a heavy heart that I write to inform you of the tragic loss of an eleventh-grade student as a result of injuries sustained in a car crash that happened yesterday. Our hearts go out to their family and friends during this incredibly difficult time.”
