2 Killed in Fiery Crash in Santa Clarita on 4th of July
July 6th ─ a man and a teenager are dead after a head-on collision between a BMW and a Honda Accord in Santa Clarita early Tuesday morning. The incident occurred around 12:10 a.m. near the intersection of Decoro Drive and McBean Parkway in the Santa Clarita Valley. According to the Santa Clarita Sherriff’s Department, the driver of the BMW was travelling north at a high rate of speed on McBean Parkway when the driver lost control. The Driver then clipped a tree before he crossed over the center median and into the southbound lanes, slamming head-on into the Honda. The coroner’s officially released the names of the drivers killed in the crash as 34-year old Joel Thomas Godfrey, driving the BMW, and 18-year old Collin Charlie Gore, driving the Honda Accord. Godfrey was pulled out of the BMW by people at the scene just seconds before it burst into flames. He was pronounced dead by first responders. The impact of the collision caused Gore to be ejected from the Honda where he landed onto the pavement, he was also pronounced dead at the scene.
Gore, who recently turned 18, was returning home from his Six Flags where he worked. Gore had graduated from Hart High School last month where he was a co-captain of the swim team and planned to attend San Diego State University in the fall. Friends and relatives gathered together Tuesday evening for a vigil to remember him, praising him as an upbeat young man with “everything ahead of him.” A former coach said, “He was a great kid. An outstanding kid, he always made everyone laugh. There was never a dull moment with him. He was great.”
“Collin was everybody’s friend, he was happy from the moment he woke up every morning until he went to bed. I’ll never be the same but I’ll be okay,” said Daleen Bueter, Gore’s mother. His mother said she takes comfort in knowing how loved and popular and respected her son was.
“It’s really sad. I mean, here’s a kid who’s just graduated. Here’s a kid who’s got everything ahead of him and that’s not going to happen for him anymore,” Saugus resident Richard Killam told reporters.
It was unknown if Godfrey was under the influence of drugs or alcohol at the time of the crash, but authorities say speeding does appear to be the cause of the accident. Residents in the area said speeding on the wide roadways is all too common.
“This is hard for the valley. It’s hard for the community. Unfortunately, it’s going to be extremely tough for two sets of families. This is going to be their Fourth of July for the rest of their lives. This is how they remember the Fourth of July,” said Sgt. David Shoemaker of the Santa Clarita Sherriff’s Department.
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