One teenager died and four others were critically injured when their Toyota Camry crashed into a power pole in Novato early Saturday morning, according to police.
The crash occurred just before 1 a.m. at the intersection of San Marin Drive and Simmons Lane when the vehicle left the roadway at high speed and struck a metal utility pole, police said. The impact spun the car around and briefly knocked out power to the surrounding area.
“First there was a pop — like a big firecracker. Then a crash,” a neighbor told ABC7.
All five occupants, ranging in age from 16 to 18, sustained serious injuries and were transported to hospitals. Four remain in critical and stable condition, police said.
The 17-year-old driver was under the influence of alcohol at the time of the crash, according to police, who also cited speed as a factor. No arrests have been made as all participants remain hospitalized.
A witness who ran outside immediately after the collision said the driver admitted to drinking. “My life is over because of this accident,” she quoted him as telling her, according to CBS.
The teenagers were not Novato residents. Four of the five were students at Rancho Cotate High School and El Camino High School in the Cotati-Rohnert Park Unified School District in Sonoma County, district officials confirmed. The fifth was a former student from the same district. The victim also attended one of these schools. Names have not been released because all participants are minors.
District Superintendent Maité Iturri sent a letter to parents announcing that counselors will be available at both schools Monday. Rohnert Park police will also have a presence on both campuses.
“We understand this is an incredibly difficult situation for all families involved,” Novato police wrote in a statement.
What brought the Sonoma County teenagers to Novato in the middle of the night remains unknown. Classes resume Monday at both schools — without one of their students.