Two Newhall teens killed in suspected drunk-driving crash

Two Newhall teenagers died in a suspected drunk-driving crash in Castaic on Saturday night.

Kevin Sanchez, 16, and Richard Lagunas, 19, were passengers in a 1999 Ford Escort driven by Carlos Hernandez, 28, also of Newhall, the California Highway Patrol said. Hernandez and a third passenger survived.

The car was eastbound on Hasley Canyon Road, approaching Commerce Center Drive, at about 11:35 p.m. when it went off the road. The car hit a concrete curb bordering the roadway and then vaulted off the road onto the raised shoulder, where it crashed into a plastic fence and a number of trees, according to a CHP statement.

The front-seat passenger, a 17-year-old boy whose name was not released, was ejected and seriously injured. Sanchez and Lagunas, who were sitting in the back, were severely injured. Both were pronounced dead at the scene.

The driver, Hernandez, also sustained major injuries. He and the third passenger were transported to Henry Mayo Newhall Memorial Hospital, where they remained Sunday.

According to a CHP statement, the three passengers were not wearing seat belts and alcohol is considered to be a factor in the crash. Hernandez faces arrest if he recovers, CHP officials said. 

-- Abby Sewell