Four people were killed and two others critically injured early Friday, September 4, 2026, when a car carrying six people veered off Highway 2 (Angeles Crest Highway) between Big Pines and Wrightwood and plunged down a mountainside. The 2016 Hyundai Veloster, built to seat four, was carrying six occupants when the driver allegedly let the car drift off the roadway around 1:30 a.m., roll down an embankment and strike a utility pole. Five of the six occupants were ejected from the vehicle; four of them died at the scene. The two survivors were airlifted to a hospital in critical condition. The California Highway Patrol says alcohol is suspected as a contributing factor and that none of the occupants were wearing seatbelts.

FOX 11 Los Angeles reported that all six occupants were from Wrightwood and were part of the same friend group, and that CHP investigators said six people were “crammed into a four-seat sedan” with no one wearing a seatbelt. According to the San Bernardino County Medical Examiner’s Office, three of the victims have been identified as 21-year-old Rebekah Cabral-Gonzalez, 19-year-old Jason Potter and 20-year-old Nevaeh Harper; a fourth victim’s name has not yet been released. The California Highway Patrol’s Antelope Valley office, which is leading the investigation, says alcohol is believed to be a contributing factor and is asking any witnesses to come forward.