Student killed, 4 others injured during crash near high school in Placentia
ORANGE COUNTY, Calif. - A teenager is dead and four others were injured during a two-vehicle collision in Placentia.
Officers were dispatched to the intersection of Yorba Linda Blvd. and Valencia Ave. in Placentia Tuesday around 8:17 a.m. for reports of a major traffic collision.
When officers arrived, they found the driver of one of the cars, Zach Henn, trapped inside. Henn, who was a junior at El Dorado High, was rushed to the hospital – where he was pronounced dead.
His passenger, also identified as a male juvenile, was able to exit from the car on his own and was located nearby, Placentia Police said in a statement. He was taken to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries.
Police said the other vehicle involved was driven by a 39-year-old woman. She also had two kids in the car with her. They were all taken to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries.
The exact ages of all the victims have not been released, according to Sgt. Joe Connell of the Placentia Police Department.
On Tuesday, a vigil was held for Henn on campus.
"Our entire school district is overwhelmed with grief beyond words," Superintendent Alex Cherniss said in a statement. "During this incredibly challenging time, we ask for your compassion in respecting the privacy of our student's loved ones, and to keep them in your thoughts and prayers."
Additional support staff and counselors were sent to the El Dorado campus and other schools following the crash.
The cause of the crash is unknown.
Anyone with information on the collision is encouraged to call the Placentia Police Traffic Bureau at (714) 993-8157.
