A high school student died in a collision that injured four other people as he was driving to school in Orange County Tuesday morning.
The collision occurred at about 8:15 a.m. at the intersection of Yorba Linda Boulevard and Valencia Avenue in the city of Placentia, according to police.
Classmates and loved ones identified the student who was killed as Zach Henn, a 17-year-old junior at El Dorado High School.
Henn was driving to school in his 1984 Corvette that he had just bought a few weeks ago. Inside his car was another male juvenile passenger.
That’s when the teen’s car was apparently struck by a Range Rover driven by a 39-year-old woman with two juvenile passengers.
It was not immediately known if one of the drivers ran a red light at the intersection.
The teen driver was trapped inside the Corvette with major injuries and required extrication. He was declared dead at a local hospital, police said. His passenger was able to walk away from the crash with non-life-threatening injuries.
No one in the Range Rover was seriously hurt.
Some students on campus at El Dorado said they were shocked when they heard the loud crash early Tuesday morning.
“I was in my zero period classroom and I heard the impact happen,” said Ivy Seitz, the victim’s classmate at El Dorado High. “I heard all the sirens and I thought, ‘Oh, that can’t be good.’ I had no idea it was him out there. Then, I came out and I saw [Henn’s] car there.”
Henn’s friends, classmates and loved ones were left devastated by his death. Henn ran for the school’s track team and is described as a free spirit who lived life to the fullest.
“I just saw him yesterday,” said Jacob Estrada, the victim’s friend. “He was telling me how things were going, how he’s always busy. He had a new job and a new car, too. He was super excited about [the Corvette]. He loved it and loved working on it all the time.”
“I didn’t see the impact but I did see the results of the collision and I knew it was his car because we’re good friends,” said Lulu Seitz, another classmate. “At the end of my third period class, I got the news that he died. I had to go home. It was tough.”
The Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District released a statement on the teen’s death saying:
“Our entire school district is overwhelmed by grief beyond words. 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.”
On Tuesday night, a makeshift memorial filled with flowers and candles can be seen near the crash site where the teen’s classmates and loved ones gathered to honor him.
It remains unclear who was at fault. Police are seeking dash camera footage from any drivers who were in the area around the time of the collision.
Anyone with information can call the Placentia Police Department at 714-993-8164.