3 teens killed in California crash while celebrating victim's 13th birthday
MURRIETA, Calif. -- A 13-year-old boy died less than two hours after celebrating his birthday following a crash in Murrieta, Calif., that also claimed the lives of two of his friends.
The teenagers were in a silver 2002 Lexus 300 when it veered off Highway 79 and crashed through a guardrail before coming to rest in an open dirt field north of Benton Road at about 1:50 a.m. Saturday, Murrieta police Sgt. Dave Baca said.
The victims were identified by the Riverside County coroner's office as 13-year-old Kile Kennedy III, 18-year-old Tate Herman and 16-year-old Anthony Aleman. All three Hemet residents were pronounced dead at the scene of the crash.
A vigil was held for the boys at Patricia H. Birdsall Sports Park in Temecula Sunday night, and a makeshift memorial has been set up at the crash site.
Kennedy's mother and grandmother set up two GoFundMe accounts. You can donate by visiting www.gofundme.com/gyj74ghd and www.gofundme.com/nyjmta2k.
GoFundMe accounts were also set up for Aleman, www.gofundme.com/exjn5xtg, and Herman, www.gofundme.com/knjkwdh5.
The cause of the fatal collision remains under investigation. Anyone with information on this crash was asked to call the Murrieta Police Department at (951) 461-6849.
City News Service contributed to this report
