Three people were killed early Saturday morning in a head-on crash on Interstate 80 northeast of Sacramento, the California Highway Patrol said.
The victims included Kendra Langham, 18, of Granite Bay, the CHP said. Mathew Beard-Witt, 18, and Matthew Azar, 20, also were killed in the crash. Beard-Witt and Langham worked together at a Granite Bay Taco Bell; Azar was driving the car when the crash occurred.
They were driving east on Interstate 80 west of Madison Avenue at about 2:10 a.m. when they were struck head-on by a car driven by Aaron Jordon Caudillo, 24, of Roseville. Caudillo was driving west in the eastbound lanes, the CHP said. His speed was not immediately known.
Caudillo survived and was taken to a hospital for treatment. He was in critical condition Saturday morning.
Langham and Beard-Witt's coworkers at the Granite Bay Taco Bell were in disbelief about the accident.
"It's horrific. She didn't deserve that. She had her whole life ahead of her," manager Nancy Fernandez said.
"You can just feel everyone is really down right now," coworker Francisco Cortes said. "I can't really process it right now. I just hope someone comes out and says this is all a joke."
"It has been really rough," said coworker Alexis Farr. "They were both really fun people to work with."
The CHP said Caudillo was intoxicated when he went on the wrong side of the highway.
"I don't understand it, how you risk it," said a frustrated Cortes. "I think it's the stupidest thing in the world. These two beautiful kids could just go out like that, that somebody had made a mistake."
The CHP said Caudillo and the three victims were all wearing seatbelts.
The crash is under investigation.
Saturday night, Robert Fohl told News10 his friends Beard-Witt, Langham, and Azar were heading back home to Granite Bay after attending a rave at a club in midtown, Sacramento.
Fohl said he also attended the event. He said was driving his own car and was about five to ten minutes behind his friends. He past by the crash scene but did not realize until much later that it involved his friends.
"It's hard to make sense of this. They were so young and full of life. They'd make sure everyone around them was having a good time...I will remember them by their high spirits and their willingness to put other people's happiness before their own," said Fohl in a written statement.
Saturday night, Kris Parsons said mass at St. Joseph Morello Catholic Church included a special prayer for the three young people killed in the wreck and their families.
"We pray and help them through this tough time," said Parsons. "This is a loss, such a loss, a shameless loss."
Several different fundraisers and vigils are in the works. There's a go-fund-me fundraiser online for Kendra.
The owner of TacoBell in Granite Bell where Kendra and Matthew worked says he plans to make a donation to Mothers Against
Drunk Driving in honor of his two employees killed and a campaign is raising money for Kendra Langham's funeral on GoFundMe.
