Overview

• The crash occurred just before noon on May 7 at the intersection of Dana Point Harbor Drive and Island Way, when a pickup truck hit a tree.
• Rebecca Cespedes, the 16-year-old driver, was pronounced dead at the scene; she was a student at Dana Hills High School.
• Five other teenagers in the truck, all students at the same high school, were hospitalized with injuries ranging from minor to critical but stable conditions.
• The Orange County Sheriff’s Department has launched a major accident investigation to determine the cause of the crash, which remains unknown.
• The incident has deeply impacted the Dana Hills High School community, prompting the deployment of counseling services and therapy dogs for students and families.