High Speed Crash Kills Three Marines in Dana Point

A terrible crash in Dana Point has claimed the lives of three Camp Pendleton Marines:

Three Marines from Camp Pendleton have died and a fourth remains in critical condition after an early-morning high-speed crash Tuesday.

The crash is still under investigation, but officials with the Orange County Sheriff's Department believe the driver of a Dodge Stratus – along with three passengers – was traveling at a high-rate of speed and lost control of the vehicle.

The Stratus was traveling north on Golden lantern when it crashed into a tree near Terra Vista, said Jim Amormino, spokesman for the Sheriff's Department. No other vehicles were involved.

The crash was reported at 2:05 a.m., he said.

Two of the men were pronounced dead at the scene, he said. A third died at a nearby hospital.

A fourth Marine is currently in critical condition, Amormino said, but their names and ages were not immediately available.

Unfortunately Marines dying in high speed crashes is not all that uncommon in Southern California. Motorcycles are often involved, but this time it was a passenger car. Fortunately no one else was involved.