Authorities on Thursday identified the victims of a fatal car crash in Palmdale that took the lives of a family of four earlier this week.
Ed Winter of the Los Angeles County coroner’s office identified the father as Bryan Byrd, 21, and the mother as Lei’ani Cathey, 20. Their two young daughters, 2-year-old Lei’niyah Byrd and 1-year-old Blayre Byrd, also died in the crash, he said.
The family was from Lancaster.
“This is very difficult to see when we have a family pass away from a traffic collision,” L.A. County Sheriff’s Department Detective Rowell Quemuel told KTLA.
The family was traveling in a four-door Kia on the Sierra Highway around 10:15 a.m. Tuesday when their car swerved out of the lane, according to a sheriff’s news release.
Their car crossed over the double yellow lines and collided head-on with an Antelope Valley Transit Authority vanpool vehicle, the release stated.
The mangled wreck came to rest on the side of the dirt shoulder, aerial footage showed.
Bryan Byrd, Cathey and Lei’niyah all died at the scene, officials said. Blayre was pronounced dead at Antelope Valley Hospital a short time later.
The children were both strapped in car seats, the release stated. Quemuel noted that none of the victims were ejected from the vehicle.
The driver of the van was taken to the hospital where he was treated for non-life-threatening injuries.
Authorities are still investigating what caused the deadly collision.
Meanwhile, relatives started a GoFundMe campaign to raise money to pay for funeral costs.
Carolyn Byrd, the man’s sister, described her brother, his fiancee and her two nieces as a “loving family” who “will always be missed.” She added that the little girls were “always happy smiling and full of life.”
The fundraiser, which was created Wednesday, has a goal amount of $7,000.
