One Dead, Five Injured in Solo-Vehicle Dana Point Harbor Drive Crash
Three Critically Injured in Fatal Collision Near Island Way
DANA POINT, Calif. (May 7, 2025) — A 16-year-old girl died and her five teenage passengers, all students from Dana Hills High School, were injured when a Ram 1500 pickup truck struck a tree Tuesday, at Dana Point Harbor Drive and Island Way in south Orange County.
Juvenile Driver Killed | Five Passengers Injured
The violent collision happened just before noon on Tuesday, May 6th, in the center median of the road near Baby Beach in Dana Point, according to the Orange County Register. The front-end of the pickup truck was crushed, and heroic measures from a retired military EMT and a nurse who were nearby stabilized several of the passengers until help arrived.
Sadly, the driver was pinned in her seat, but a bystander held her hand, comforted her and prayed as she succumbed to her injuries, according to a KTLA 5 News report. She has been identified as 16-year-old Dana Point resident, Rebecca Cespedes.
All six occupants in the white pickup truck are juveniles under 18 years old, according to Orange County Sheriff’s Department Sgt. Gerard McCann.
Paramedics transported a girl and two boys to a hospital in critical condition; however, they are all expected to survive, police said. Another boy and a girl who were passengers were treated for minor injuries.
The cause of the crash is currently unknown and under investigation by the Orange County Sheriff’s Department’s Major Accident Investigation Team.
The high school is offering students counseling, and there is a memorial of flowers and candles at the crash site this morning.
Witnesses or anyone with information about the collision, are asked to call the OCSD Traffic Bureau at 949-425-1860.
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Johnson Attorneys Group is a personal injury law firm serving clients who are injured in California due to a negligent motorist. If you would like to contribute any information or have LEGAL QUESTIONS for a potential case, please call 1-(800) 208-3538 as soon as possible. Our personal injury law firm is a proud, longtime supporter of Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD).
