
LANCASTER – A man, woman and boy were killed Friday after a sport utility vehicle collided with a pickup truck in a Lancaster intersection, authorities said.

The crash occurred around 6:08 p.m., Friday, Nov. 21, in the intersection of West Avenue K and 25th Street West in Lancaster, according to Sgt. David Jennings of the Lancaster Sheriff’s Station.
A 1991 Jeep Cherokee was traveling east on Avenue K at what witnesses described as a high rate of speed; while the driver of a 2002 Dodge Ram truck was waiting to make a left turn from westbound Avenue K onto southbound 25th Street West, Jennings stated.
“When the light cycled yellow, eastbound traffic in the number one lane stopped,” Jennings stated. “The driver of the Dodge proceeded with his left turn and collided with the Jeep, which entered the intersection in the number two lane.”
The force of the crash sent the Jeep careening into a traffic signal pole and then into a tree. As the Jeep spun out of control, four of its five occupants were thrown from the vehicle, according to Jennings. Two of those ejected died at the scene, and one died at the hospital. Their names have not yet been released pending next of kin notification; they were identified only as a black adult male, a Hispanic adult female and a Hispanic boy.

“It appears as if the occupants of the Jeep were not wearing their seat belts,” Jennings stated.
The Jeep’s two surviving occupants suffered injuries, as did the driver of the truck, but the extent of those injuries were unclear.
Alcohol does not appear to be a factor in the collision, according to Jennings.
The investigation is ongoing.
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UPDATED 11/22/14 @ 3:30 pm: Two of the three people killed in the traffic collision have been identified – 12-year-old Everardo Simental Jr. of Palmdale and 19-year-old Christopher McGlory of Lancaster. Both died at the scene of the collision. The third victim, a Hispanic female, was pronounced dead at the hospital. Her name has not yet been released pending next of kin notification, according to the Los Angeles County Coroner’s Office.
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just stop already says
I like how when stuff like this happens everyone in the AV becomes an “expert” driver and everyone pretends like they have never done anything stupid or wrong before. You guys know that everyone, at some point in their life, has done EXACTLY what the driver did that day. It just sucks that it didn’t work out for him. He should have been driving safer, yes. They should have been wearing their seat belts, yes. So leave it at that and shut up. They call them car ACCIDENTS for a reason. It was an accident. Remember that people died and if it was your family, your brother, your wife, your baby, you wouldn’t be talking crap on what they should and should not have done. It doesn’t matter now anyway.
Greg says
No, can not say I have sped through an orange with enough speed to cause that much damage. They are not called car accidents, they are called Vehicular Collisions. Most of the time a decision was made therefore it was not an accident it was a screw-up. Wheel suddenly blowing out, that is an accident. Speeding is not an accident unless your accelerator pedal is stuck.
Jean says
The article didn’t say whether the driver was one of the victims. It is the driver’s responsibility to make sure that everyone is wearing their seatbelt before they start to drive. If they don’t want to wear one, then get out of the car! So by not following the rules to protect yourselves, now your dead, doesn’t make much sense does it. My heart goes out to the families who are mourning their lost ones lives, no one should have to go through something like this when it is preventable. I wonder how old the driver was? There seems to be a lot of teenagers getting into fatal accidents lately, very sad! I think they should bring back simulators class in the high schools, I think it prepared the driver much better before hitting the open road. Now, it’s just all about taking your money!
Rankin says
Beating the yellow/ red light is a favorite passtime here as is road rage, and speeding as fast as possible because speeding tickets are not issued. How about a lot of traffic law enforcement from law enforcement?
Shorty says
Does anyone know if the driver of the Jeep even had a drivers license???
RaeAnna Williams says
REST IN PEACE CHRIS smh i cant believe this happened u was talking to Thursday Night. Im devastated this happened so quick u just was telling me u graduated going to college.
Kiana McGlory says
I love u so much. I know some day we will be together again
until then I will cherish all the good memories we share and find comfort in knowing you are watching over me and your nephews, I know you’re watching over all your loved ones RIP little brother RIP :-*
Richard Casillas says
The reason the jeep doesn’t have front end damage is because the truck hit the jeep while it was making the left. The jeep was going pretty fast and tried to beat the truck on the light and the driver of the jeep also tried to avoid the truck but it was to late. We seen it all we were on the #1 lane. Our prayers go out to the all the victims effected. It’s something we wished wouldn’t of happened or witnessed. After read a lot of the post, the city should invest in making left arrow green lights on all intersections.
Richard Casillas says
Sorry, I was trying to post it on a comment below. On Yvette’s post.
Nancy P says
What you are saying is the truck turned into the side of the Jeep? Why didn’t the truck driver wait till the jeep was through the intersection? Regardless of who “had the light” or who was speeding, why not make sure it is safe before you turn? This could have been avoided. Prayers for victims and to their families.
Laura says
If you are stopped, waiting to take a left turn, you definitely need to make sure all lanes have stopped at the yellow. BUT if a jeep is going 75-80 miles an hour you would not see it until it was too late. That is why the truck wasn’t T boned but the jeep was. When cars are stopped in closer lanes they also block the view for the other lanes…down the road. I have seen it happen this way many times. My daughter witnessed it on 10th west a few months ago. . The truck driver was not at fault.
Bridget Eddy says
Kiana, I’m so sorry for yours and your family loss of Chris. I really do hope you and your family can reach your goal and have a funeral for Chris. He was such a good guy. May he rest in peace.R.I.P Chris
Anceo Francisco says
I’m sorry for your lost. RIP ill homie
Danny says
Pay attention and slow down most accidents can be avoided!
Robyn says
RIP Chris!!!!!!! You will be missed. Smh can’t believe it
katie says
Rip chris u will be missed
vianca says
I miss u jossy cant believe ur gone rest in paradise love
Yvette LLanes says
The way they say the accident happened makes no sense if the blue truck were turning left the damage would be on the passengers side of the blue truck or the front. The jeep would have been damaged on the front, but there is no damage at he front of the jeep from what I can see from the pictures.
Uncommon sense says
It shows you just how late the driver of the truck actually made that dumb turn. They waited so long that the truck was already crossing and they probably clipped it at the start of the turn, otherwise as you think the impact would have been on the passenger side and not at the front driver side. No real good shots of the jeep on the driver side to actually see where the impact was.
On a side note, I love how everyone wants to change the speed limit but no one wants to take accountability for bad decisions. Stop trying to band aid everything and make people responsible for their actions. Every time you get behind the wheel you have the power to devastate lives, and not just your own. If you can’t drive at the speed posted and drive right then stay off the road. Walk, take a bus or a cab but don’t put us in danger. That goes to people who slow ball the speed as well, you’re not doing anyone a service and create more hazards, some of us are actually competent to drive.
We needs some driving psa’s out here.
frank says
Lets just pray for the families of those lost and remind all of us to be aware of speed limits and yellow lights dont mean to speed up it means prepare to stop .
30W & N says
Sunday Morning 9am, another huge crash at 30W & Ave. N, multiple persons trapped, at least 2 critical being taken by helicopter. I cannot believe all the serious crashes up here. Be alert when you drive!!!!
Gowchong says
I’ve read all of the posts. And I read the news accounts from the local news paper and AV Times.
Bottom line, regardless of who is at fault:
*Speed kills
*Wear your seat belt
*STOP when the light cycles yellow unless you are in the intersection
RF says
Speed doesn’t kill. If it did, there would be piles of aircraft full of dead people surrounding airports everywhere. Inappropriate speed for the conditions is what kills.
Btw, that street is a 50mph limit. if the light cycles to yellow when you are 20ft from the intersection how do you plan on stopping?
Greg says
Ave K going through from Weinerschnitzel to 10th West is a mixed 30-35 zone. Perhaps that zone should be carried westward all the way out to at least 70th West.
On the route from 20th West going west there are multiples shopping drive ways, multiple home driveways, 2 schools, 1 college, a park and varied number of lanes.
Does anyone know how to start a petition to get this rezoned as 30 MPH from end to end?
Mrs M says
Robin, my thought exactly.
vickie says
I live two blocks from that intersection and every house on that corner has had a car in their yard. It’s very dangerous and I pause every time I go thru it to allow cars that anticipate the light. It’s kept me safe from a few bad drivers.
Cal says
In case you missed this from driving school, you are permitted, when waiting to make a safe left turn at a green light, to be IN the intersection, a bit less than halfway. When a light turns yellow, you MUST wait until opposing traffic clears, no matter what. Even if the light turns red, you must observe that everyone is stopped, or not speeding towards you without slowing. You will not get ticketed for the left turn on red if you are already in the intersection, according to state law, unless you weren’t previously in the intersection, which then would be considered running a red light. Now that you are armed with this info, you can clearly see that the truck did not follow the law in this regard, and as soon as the light turned, gunned it left in front of another crew who decided not to follow the law. For everyone condemning the city and its speed limits for this accident, get real! Obviously if the law had been followed, there wouldn’t have been an accident. A better option would be to change the signal to include arrows.
Angela says
Thank you.
bel says
Wow ,very well said. Very sad this has to happen, maybe we should all get retrained every year thru the DMV .
Tim rucker says
Maybe better if the jeep were slowing down rather than excelerating to beat a signal, atsix in the evening hard ti anticipate opposing traffic if they saw it at all.Please slow down!!!
Jefferson says
Very Good. Or a longer yellow…which much countries and cities around the world are adapting.
NO NO NO NO says
A longer yellow “Caution” “Slow Down and Prepare to stop” light would mean more time for someone to run it.
O. S. says
Longer yellows are not the answer. In this case, yrafficbthat was approaching at a reasonable rate of speed had already stopped in the #1 lane. And yet the driver of the Jeep was reportedly not only speeding but also attempted to run the light!
Yellow phase times are not randomly selected…. A number of different factors come in to determine how many seconds trafficblights are in the yellow phase (mainly, it is dependant upon the approach speed/speed limit through the intersection).
callitasitis says
You are 100% correct, if drivers obey the law which are there for safety reason, we would not have these tragic deaths. Those ejected were NOT wearing their seat belts.
Shelly says
FINALLY!!! Someone with an intelligent comment.
Shelly says
Thank you CAL.
Miss W says
There should be a green arrow light for all left hand turn lanes…everywhere. It would cut down on inconsideration, incompetence, and loss of life. I also agree that slow drivers are not only unsafe, (i.e. 35 in a 55 mph lane – I’ve driven behind plenty of those!), but they are inconsiderate, as well. In this instance, it appears that both drivers were inconsiderate and incompetent. Seat belts are so important…make sure your passengers are wearing them before hitting the road.
O. S. says
Your entire post is going on the assumption that the driver of the Jeep entered the intersection on yellow. If the light had been red when the Jeep crossed the limit line, then the Jeep did not belong inside the intersection, at which point in time and with the light being red, , the truck driver was within his right to begin making his turn, in fact, it was his responsibility to clear the intersection at that point!.
That said, someone has posted above they they were at the intersection when the accident happened. In fact they were STOPPED in the #1 lane when the Jeep entered the inresection in the #2 lane.
Question is, why would traffic in the #1 lane be stopped if they still had time to proceed during the yellow phase?
This, increases the likelihood that the driver if the Jeep was not only speeding, but he/she had attempted to beat the light and failed.
Regardless, none of this will bring the three people who died back. A prayer that they may rest in peace, and a prayer for their families and loved ones to find peace!
Cal says
Read the 4th paragraph, and it states that the light cycled yellow, and the car proceeded. You are NEVER able to receive a ticket in California by going on a yellow, as it isn’t illegal. If you are halfway in the intersection while yellow, that is okay, even if it turns red while still there. Therefore, I can surmise that the car was okay (up to that point). The conversation won’t bring back the dead, but it may spur people to be more careful in intersections. Obviously, people should not try to ‘beat the light’, but there are also people who, as soon as the light changes, slam on their brakes. You watch them waiting for a long 5 seconds there, looking foolish, while everyone else behind them unexpectedly slams on their own brakes. I myself was in one episode where the guy slide into the middle of the intersection and stopped. He realized it was a bad move, and just decided to get out of there, while I was stuck in the crosswalk due to his action. THEN the light changed to red.
Mrs wonder says
Three lives were lost. Everyone on here is commenting and all these what if how come. How about just pray for the families who lost their loved ones. Accidents happen. That’s why they are accidents. May you rest in peace.
Ducky says
lives were lost, brothers,sons,sisters,,daughters incase you have forgotten gods children.some ones only son what have the people came to wild animals lives have been changed for the rest of there lifes.stop this unstable why that ur all being and give a moment of slience for the ones we have lost and pray for the families of the ones no longer with us REST IN PARIDICE
Mrs wonder says
Exactly..just rest in peace this is very tragic.
callitasitis says
@ Ms wonder
Yes, prayers for the families involved however all these deaths and injuries were preventive IF ONLY people just follow the rules of the road. All the safety rules are there inside the DMV drivers’ pamphlet but people are so about themselves that they do not care about others on the road. DUI/CELLPHONE/ RED LIGHT RUNNERS/ and many more. We are all tired of the lost of life for no good reason.
Israel says
I am from denver and the speed limits are 40 on surface streets. Also maybe more police officer driving around or get photos van to park along side roads. To give speeding ticket in both directions.
O. S. says
While “red light cameras” are allowed here, the laws of the state of California prohibit the use of cameras for speed enforcement.
Randy says
Speed limits are determined by how fast 80% are clocked at a perticular place. Round abouts are the answer. Fewer high speed collisions and fewer opportunities for those collisions to happen.
dirtyav says
Round-a-bouts are not the answer. I’ve seen just as many accidents in those with people speeding and going straight through. Traffic would also be worse, unless you wanted a 4 lane round-a-bout. Can you imagine how bad it would be with those in this town? No one would ever follow the pattern through it
Tim says
Roundabouts do work but are expensive
ALF says
The speed limit is 50 mph there and that is way too fast for a residential area where their are homes and drive ways where people pull in and out from AVE K. Also, their is a lot of foot traffic between 25th and 27th west with no sidewalks and poor lighting. If the speed limit was a reasonable 35 mph like it should be “maybe” this would not have happen.
Shame on the city of Lancaster and Palmdale, you enjoyed the growth over the past 30 plus years and but have failed to make the streets safe with reasonable speed limits. it’s way over due to take action, how many more lives will it take before something is DONE?
phy says
Thank you for recognizing that this is residential along here. It is even more dangerous when I make a right turn in to my driveway. Traffic is coming up behind me at 50 plus miles per hour. Even though my blinker is going & I keep tapping my brake lights to attract attention, cars serve at the last minute. It is even worse when I have to come to a complete stop on Ave. K to wait for a pedestrian. I even had a car roll their car one time because they served at the last minute and they were going to fast with a car in the lane next to them. I am in the middle of the block & there have been several accidents involving multiple vehicles & speed. If this were just an intercection only problem, then why have there been these middle of the block accidents too? Plus I never see the the Sheriff’s along here issuing tickets to slow it down. It’s residential first, so it should be slowed down. Then it should be patrolled to enforce the speed so we don’t have these horrible accidents.
Steve says
I don’t blame the city, I don’t blame the cars I blame people. I’ve seen people driving crazy every single day and it’s getting worse. I blame the people here. Stop speeding but somehow everyone is getting dumber and dumber and speeding everywhere putting other innocent lives at risk. Slow down everyone.
gemini says
The accident should not have happened. The truck driver should not have turned until he knew the way was clear. The jeep shouldn’t have been speeding.
1. I will blame the cities because they won’t reduce the speed limits.
2. I will blame the cities because they don’t have intersections well lit. Intersection lights and a few street lights don’t keep the area visible. The only well lit intersections are the ones with stores on all four corners.
3. I will blame the cities because they do not keep trees and bushes cut back or remove them if they are blocking the visibility.
4. I will blame the cities because they don’t put those deterrents on the roads coming up to the intersections, like road studs. So it costs money. That’s what we pay taxes for, not ridiculous cameras.
Please, as you come up to an intersection, slow down. You’ll still get to your destination.
phy says
I think some of this bushes are there to protect the houses because there have been so many accidents at that corner. The cars used to go right through their block wall before they let the bushes grow. At least that was for one of the houses. The other houses may be using the bushes for the same reason. They are not my houses, & I don’t know the people but I live down the street & I am aware of many of the accidents. Just from my own observation, those houses used to get more cars through the wall & up in their yards.
Al says
Learn how to drive. You never pull a vehicle into a blind spot. Learn how to drive.
Cary says
Yes! Turning across a blind spot is so, so much more negligent than speeding through a blind spot with no seat belts. Thank you for your car safety lesson.
AL says
People simply don’t know how to drive. This is classic running the yellow light while the other person is not looking for people running the light and they make their left hand turn in front of them. Learn how to drive.
TS says
Freaking Really,, the trucks fault! I was hit in the intersection of K8 & 30th west,, I was the second car through the intersection,, she was 19 and late for class, and stated to the sheriff’s that the last time she looked at the light it was YELLOW, mind you I was the 2nd car through. Oh ya, no lic. or insurance, driving mom’s car out of cal city plus had a warrant of arrest out of Seattle of failure to appear on a driving without a lic. Here’s the kicker,, the local dipsticks gave her the key back to her undrivable car, gave her a ticket to appear. and I’m still screwed up from it. Running Yellows is the norm here,, think it’ll get better,,, don’t count on it.
regina says
SEATBELTS!!! Why dont people wear them?
Trucks Fault says
It’s my opinion that this collision would be the fault of the driver of the Dodge Truck. Even though the Jeep may have been driving at a ‘high rate of speed’, the truck must wait until the intersection is clear before the turn is completed. This is not the only big crash in Lancaster last night. There was another serious crash at Sierra & J about 7:30. All this on a night where dozens of Lancaster Sheriff’s personnel are conducting a DUI checkpoint. In the past, the AV checkpoints have not yielded many DUI drivers. I feel the large number of checkpoint personnel could be used patrolling the streets rather than positioned in one spot.
David says
You need to pull your head from your hind-quarters. Whether or not driver checkpoints yield arrests is irrelevant to the story, even more so, because DUI checkpoints aren’t exclusively for yielding arrests. They’re a deterrent, so that if the public at large know there’s going to be one, they’ll think twice about driving under the influence. Still, that’s not the issue. The issue is that a vehicle was driving recklessly and caused fatalities. “When the light cycled yellow, eastbound traffic in the number one lane stopped,” the Jeep did not. Probably because he was traveling at a high rate of speed and maybe couldn’t, or maybe because like so many other drivers in the AV, he was trying to beat the light and was in too much of a hurry to actually be hindered by having to stop at a red light. Had the driver been paying attention, he might have done better to look around and see why the other traffic had stopped (because there was a big a$$ Dodge truck making a turn, maybe…), but he didn’t and now three lives are lost, and you think it was the guy waiting to make a turn and then proceeds because the light is about to turn red? Not because it’s the driver doing at least 25 mph over the speed limit (in a residential area no less) and trying to beat a red light? If your honestly going to stand behind that, you’re one of the reasons accidents occur and why driving is so bad in the AV.
Your Truck says
You were probably driving the truck!
arturo villareal says
Oh yeah, maybe..yea probably
Agreed says
From the videos and descriptions, that truck must have been going pretty fast to have hit the jeep with enough impact to have made it flip and careen out of control like that. Also on the jeep’s part they should have been wearing their seat belts. From what I heard was that the child was spending the night with the people he was riding with. Call me crazy, but if I were driving with someone else’s child I would make damn sure that they were buckled up. I wont drive unless people are buckled up anyway, but when someone has responsibility of another’s child they should be doubly cautious. My heart and thoughts go out to the families of the deceased. This is sad all around.
G. Marrion says
The truck was stopped, waiting to make a left turn. How much speed could he possibly gain turning across 15 feet of lane 1. The description said the Jeep was speeding, and spun around after impact, not flipped. If the Jeep had not been speeding, both vehicles could have taken corrective action that would have avoided this crash.
O. S. says
How would patrolling the streets have stopped this accident? And for your info, when a DUI checkpoints are set up when law enforcement receives additonal funding specifically for that purpose (more often rhan not, it is federal money). Si when the checkpoints are scheduled, the officers who would otherwise be out on patrol are still there doing what they would normally do, and additional officers are scheduled to man the checkpoint.
Still, cops cannot be everywhere. Instead, it is incumbant upon each individual driver to exercise due caution and to abide by the laws that are in effect, each and every time he/she gets behind rhe wheel, not only when there is a cop nearby!
Red means stop says
Such a terrible unnecessary loss of life trying to get somewhere faster. Obviously the jeep ran the red light and paid the price.
This happens all too often here in the valley. Maybe they need to reinstall the traffic light cameras.
yes, red means stop says
If it was a yellow light, they both should have stopped, but they didn’t and the driver going straight has the right of way. Not to mention, the traffic in the #1 lane had stopped, so the jeep turned without being able to see the oncoming cars in the #2 lane that would have been obstructed by the #1 lane. If you can’t see, you shouldn’t turn
Spanky says
Read the article… The Jeep did not make the turn, the Dodge did. “The Jeep was traveling at a high rate of speed” according to witnesses.
Spanky says
Other traffic, moving in the same direction as the Jeep, stopped. Why would they stop if the light didn’t obligate them to? The Jeep did not stop…
If you cant see, you shouldnt turn. says
Yes, the Dodge turned. When it was not safe to do so. The Jeep had the right of way. When waiting to turn left, you should be waiting behind the lines, and only enter the intersection when it is SAFE to do so to complete your turn. Not just be sitting in the middle of the street waiting to turn on a potentially red light. Should there be a better light at this intersection with an actually traffic arrow? Yes. Should the Dodge have turned when he couldn’t see? No.
Greg says
If a vehicle is in the intersection waiting to make a legal left turn when the light turns red, it is to complete the turn as safely as possible.
If a vehicle going straight is approaching a yellow light it is to slow down safely to a stop. Not accelerate to clear the intersection on an orange (yellow switching to red). The other stopped lane should have been a clue to the driver of the Jeep that he needed to stop.
Just like when a pedestrian is crossing and the traffic is stopped in one lane, the clear lane drivers should slow WAY down in case there is a pedestrian entering their lane.
Uncommon sense says
To quote the article.
“When the light cycled yellow, eastbound traffic in the number one lane stopped,” Jennings stated. “The driver of the Dodge proceeded with his left turn and collided with the Jeep, which entered the intersection in the number two lane.” Yellow. Did you read that or is selective reading
This happens a lot out here because everyone thinks they have the right of way when they don’t. It was a yellow light as the article states from the report. Unless there is a turn signal, you never have the right of way on a turn. Thanks for adding to the stupidity in the av up there ^
Mark says
Must have been in a hurry and wanted to make it through the light
It didn’t turn out to well
Bob says
In the good old AV if the ghetto fabulous/gang violence doesn’t kill you,, you can pretty much count on getting snuffed out just while driving around the Antelope Valley. The Antelope Valley,,, a great place to “leave”.
robin says
Yes it’s a great PLACE to LEAVE after you sell your house and use that money for a down payment on a place where u really wanted to live in the first place….
Mrs M says
Robin, my thought exactly