A fiery afternoon crash on eastbound Eight Mile Road in north Stockton left two people dead and one hospitalized on Tuesday, Feb. 11.
The victims have been identified as Lorenzo Perez, 18, the driver, and Veriac Hor, 17, one of the passengers.
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Perez allegedly drove erratically and at a high rate of speed as he drove to a friend who needed help. Perez, driving a silver Infiniti, attempted to pass traffic in the left lane and lost control of the vehicle. As a result, the vehicle careened into a fence, a light pole and finally a tree. The vehicle then erupted into flames.
Authorities pronounced the two dead at the scene. Another passenger escaped the wreckage and paramedics took him to a local hospital.
Authorities listed the occupants as teen males. News reports state Perez did not have the proper licensing to be behind the wheel.
Authorities closed the eastbound lanes of Eight Mile Road, in front of Oak Grove Park, during the investigation.
Since the crash, the tree has become a growing memorial with balloons, a birthday cake and other sentimental memorabilia.
An American Automobile Association (AAA) press release from late 2018, states that teen drivers, if they have other teens in the car with them, put everyone on the roadway at risk for a deadly crash. A study indicates that if there are only teens in the car, the fatality rate for all involved increases by 51 percent. But, in contrast, when a passenger 35 or older is added to the mix, the death rate drops by 8 percent. The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety conducted this study.