Aug 29, 2008 11:39 pm US/Pacific
Eagle Rock Car Crash Death Toll Rises To 4
LOS ANGELES
A 15-year-old passenger in a vehicle involved in a high-speed crash in Eagle Rock died Friday, bringing the total fatalities in the wreck to four.
Andrew Cordova died this morning from injuries suffered in the crash,
which occurred about 10:35 p.m. Wednesday at Colorado Boulevard and Highland View Avenue, according to the coroner's office.
Two of his sisters, Cristyn Nicole Cordova, 19, the pregnant driver of
the vehicle, and Toni Cordova, 16, died on impact when the vehicle slammed into a tree. Jason Timothy Gomez Hernandez, 19, a family friend who also was in the back seat, was ejected and also died at the scene, according to police.
Carlos Alberto Campos, Cristyn's 19-year-old boyfriend and the father of
her unborn child, was riding in the front passenger seat and was ejected,
police said.
He suffered multiple fractures and was listed in critical condition at Huntington Memorial.
Police today backed away from the assertion that street racing was the
cause of the crash.
"Although we believe that excess speed was a primary factor in this
collision, there is no evidence that the involved persons or vehicles were
engaged in an organized speed competition," the Los Angeles Police Department said in a statement.
Road rage is among the possibilities being considered as a factor in the
tragedy, said Officer Kate Lopez, an LAPD spokeswoman.
A white Mitsubishi Eclipse, driven by 19-year-old Rostislav Shnayder of
Eagle Rock, was seen speeding while traveling westbound on Colorado Boulevard and collided with Cordova's Nissan Maxima just before the fatal crash, according to the LAPD statement.
Police said Shnayder remained at the scene and attempted to render aid
to the Nissan's occupants and that "there is no indication that Shnayder was impaired by drugs or alcohol."
Shnayder was arrested and booked on suspicion of murder.
Police had originally said a third vehicle was involved, but today's statement did not reference another vehicle.
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