Five teens died in a fiery crash in Newport Beach on Monday afternoon — four at the scene and one at a hospital, authorities said.
The crash happened at about 5:20 p.m. on Jamboree Road just north of Island Lagoon Drive, near the Newport Beach Country Club, according to Kathy Lowe, spokeswoman for the Newport Beach Police Department.
"It does appear speed was a factor," Lowe said Tuesday morning.
She said the teens were all residents of Irvine.
The victims were identified early Tuesday as two boys and three girls, according to the Orange County Sheriff's Department. The victims' names were not available Tuesday morning.
The crash happened when an Infiniti traveling southbound on Jamboree veered off of the road and struck a tree on the center divider. The car split in half after striking the tree. One half caught fire, according to Lowe.
Four victims were ejected and died immediately. A fifth was partially ejected and died at a nearby hospital.
Drivers told NBC4 that cars tend to speed on that stretch of road, which has a 55 mph speed limit.
Lowe said speed and other factors, including whether alcohol was involved, were under investigation.