The Orange County Sheriff’s Department on Monday released the names of four people killed in a head-on collision involving two motorcycles the previous day near Modjeska Canyon.
Authorities identified the crash victims as Regina Michelle Crowder, 48, of Fountain Valley; Jon Michael Schwarz, 50, of Tustin; David Mark Terman, 59, of Santa Ana; and Edith Mae Hegy, 62, of Elko, Nevada.
The quadruple fatal crash occurred just after 4:30 p.m. Sunday in the area of Santiago Canyon and Modjeska Canyon roads, according to the California Highway Patrol.
A Harley Davidson motorcycle was traveling northbound on Santiago Canyon when it apparently tried to pass a vehicle and ended up in southbound lanes, colliding head on into a Honda motorcycle, according to officials.
“The motorcycle going northbound on Santiago Canyon (Road) — he was trying to overtake another vehicle that was going northbound,” CHP Officer Florentino Olivera said. “In doing so, he went into oncoming traffic on the opposite side and collided with another motorcycle that was going southbound.”
Each motorcycle had a rider and a passenger. Investigators told KTLA the collision was so violent, the victims were ejected and ended up yards away from impact, including one woman who ended up over the ravine.
“We had a body on this side, body in the middle of the roadway, one body between the motorcycles, and then the female that was thrown down the embankment,” Olivera said.
He initially gave the ages of those killed as being 35, 40 and two 60-year-olds before the Sheriff’s Department identified the victims early Monday afternoon.
Authorities have not yet said who was riding on which motorcycle.
No additional information was provided about the crash, which remains under investigation.