Burbank police say around 4:15 Saturday morning, a Nissan carrying six people was traveling south on San Fernando Boulevard at a high rate of speed when the driver lost control. The vehicle slammed into the concrete pillar of the 5 Freeway underpass near the Scott Road exit and burst into flames.
Saturday night, relatives and friends gathered around a memorial at the spot where the five young adults died in the horrific car crash.
The family of 19-year-old Malak Hariri identified her as one of the victims.
"She was very good in school. She said, 'I'm happy because I'm No. 1 in school, so why should I be angry, or mad, or sad from anything?'" said Salwa Hariri, the victim's aunt. "I just want to say that we're going to miss her so much."
The coroner has not released identities yet, but the names circulated quickly among friends who went to school with the three young men and two women - all said to be graduates of two Burbank high schools.
"Our friends were just with them last night. A bunch of them were all hanging out, and then you wake up this morning to this," said Laura Lechuga, a friend of the victims.
"He was just the best guy and nothing could ever make him sad. Any time he was having trouble, he would just put a smile on his face and just let everyone know that he was OK. He was just the best guy I knew," said Kevin Koshiro, a friend of one of the victims.
The bodies of the five people trapped inside the car were burned beyond recognition. An 18-year-old girl managed to crawl out of the wreckage. She was rushed to Los Angeles County Medical Center to be treated for non life-threatening injuries.
Authorities say they don't know yet if alcohol was a factor in the crash.
"We just gotta be there for each other," said Lechuga. "No one's alone in this; we're all together."
If you have any information about this incident, you're urged to contact Burbank police at (818) 238-3100.
