3 Killed, 1 Critically Injured as Car Hits Signal in Westminster

WESTMINSTER — Three young adults died and one was critically injured early Sunday when their luxury car, traveling more than twice the speed limit, skidded out of control at a Westminster intersection and slammed into a traffic signal, shearing the car in half, officials said.

The gray Mercedes driven by Hoang Kim Hoang, 22, of Midway City was going about 84 m.p.h. when it passed a car stopped at a red light, then smashed into the pole, Westminster police said.

Hoang, who suffered only minor injuries thanks to a seat belt and air bag, told police that he was trying to flee from a Stanton nightclub where shots had been fired. Investigators were still trying to learn whether there actually had been an incident at a nightclub.

None of the three passengers in the back seat were wearing seat belts. Saythong Thomgprachanh, 20, of Worthington, Minn., and Stephanie Le, 20, of Highland, were thrown from the car and died instantly. Duyen Nguyen, 18, of Garden Grove, was in critical condition Sunday at Irvine Medical Center.

Dung Bui, 21, of Irvine, who was in the front seat, died at the scene.

Hoang was not taken into custody, police said.