Reedley College Mourns Loss of 3 Crash Victims

By Justin Willis, KSEE24 News

October 3, 2012 Updated Oct 3, 2012 at 5:45 PM PDT

Maria Bermudez was in the car with the three students, and is in serious condition.

56-year-old Joel Siegel and 63-year-old John Lydon were in the other car.

Siegel is in fair condition, but Mr. Lydon is listed as critical.

The collision happened at South and McCall.

Joseph Sarabia, David Trejo, and Isaiah Vasquez were pronounced dead at the scene.

CHP says the '97 Saturn they were in was speeding, and passed another car to run a stop sign.

That's when they collided with the car driven by Siegel.

Officers say none of the four in the Saturn were wearing seatbelts.

Reedley College students say there's a lesson to be learned...

Friends and family are shocked by the loss.

James Pantoya, Close Friend: "They were like brothers to me basically. Just losing them is... Hard. Lost a family member basically."

Pantoya grew up with Joseph Sarabia and David Trejo.

He remembers Joseph as compassionate, and says that David was the creative one in their group.

The victims in the accident were taking automotive classes together at Reedley College.

Reedley College students are now planning for a memorial. They're also working on donations for the families.

A vigil is planned for 7:30 p.m. Wednesday night at the site of the collision.

Family members of Joseph Sarabia are seeking donations for a memorial fund.

If you would like to help, the account has been set up at Chase bank. The account number is 12692-7380.

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