UPDATED: Teenage passenger dies in alleged DUI, street racing crash in Pasadena

PASADENA >> An 18-year-old Altadena man is accused of being drunk and street racing when he crashed a car in Pasadena late Thursday, killing a 17-year-old passenger and injuring three others, police said.
Police arrested Gerardo Garcia on suspicion of drunken driving and vehicular manslaughter following the 12:20 a.m. crash on Washington Boulevard at Lincoln Avenue, Pasadena police Lt. John Luna said.
The name of the teenage passenger who died following the crash was not available Sunday. Police described him as a 17-year-old Riverside resident. Garcia and three other teenage passengers of the car suffered minor to moderate injuries.
“According to independent witnesses, two vehicles had been street racing while traveling on Washington when the collision occurred,” Luna said.
Garcia was at the wheel of a 2004 Nissan sedan, Lt. Art Chute said.
“It appears they were street racing, and during the race, they collided,” Chute said.
The Nissan then went out of control, police said.
“(The car) lost control and struck the freeway overpass embankment, causing the vehicle to overturn at least once,” Luna said.
The badly injured Riverside teen was taken to Huntington Hospital in Pasadena where he succumbed to his injuries at 7:39 a.m., Los Angeles County Department of Coroner Investigator Dana Bee said.
The teen who ultimately died from his injuries was outside the car when rescuers arrived, however it was unclear whether he had been thrown from the car in the crash, or pulled from the wreckage afterward, officials said.
Two teenage girls riding in the Nissan suffered injuries described as moderate, while fourth passenger — a teenage boy — suffered minor injuries, Chute said.
After being treated for his injuries, Garcia was booked at the Pasadena Police Department Jail, according to police and Los Angeles County booking records. He was being held in lieu of $100,000 bail pending his initial court appearance.
The crash remains under investigation by the Pasadena Police Department’s Major Accident Investigation Team.

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2 thoughts on “UPDATED: Teenage passenger dies in alleged DUI, street racing crash in Pasadena

  1. Rest in peace Gabriel. I’m sorry for not being able to go to your funeral, but I miss having class with you every Monday & Wednesday. You were such a kind & genuine person, I’m glad I met you.

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