“‘SIX FRIENDS GOT INTO A CAR… ONLY ONE IS STILL FIGHTING TO COME HOME.’” Just hours after laughing together at a graduation celebration, five teenagers were gone in a devastating crash that tore a car in half and left a community in mourning. Families who expected to see their children the next morning are now planning funerals instead. Meanwhile, the sole survivor remains in critical condition, fighting for his life in hospital. What happened on that dark stretch of road has left an entire town heartbroken.

A SINGLE car crash into a traffic signal has left five teens dead and one 24-year-old man in critical condition.

Local authorities are still trying to determine the cause of the crash, but suspect alcohol may have been a contributing factor.

Roadside memorial for Nicolas Munoz-Gautreaux, including a blue cross, flowers, candles, and a Stitch plush toy.
A roadside memorial was set up at the scene of the crash in Santa Maria, California that left five teens deadCredit: KSBY
Jennifer Gutierrez smiling.
Jennifer Gutierrez, 19, was one of the five victims of the crashCredit: GoFundMe

A vehicle crashed into a traffic signal pole just before 2am on Sunday on State Route 135 in Santa Maria, California, the Santa Maria Police Department said.

The car split in half after the collision, per a photo taken by a witness that was shared with Noozhawk.

Four of the people inside of the car were pronounced dead at the scene, police said.

Two occupants were alive when police arrived on scene and were both transported to a local hospital for treatment.

One of them later died at the hospital while the other, identified as Aurelio Calixtro Matias, 24, remains in the hospital in critical condition.

The victims were identified by police as Isabella Star Vigil, 16, Guendi Beatrice Gamez Escalante, 16, Yusbeli Diaz Galvez, 17, Nicolas Munoz-Gautreaux, 17, and Jennifer Gutierrez, 19.

“Preliminary evidence located at the scene suggests alcohol may have been a contributing factor; however, the investigation remains ongoing and no final determination has been made at this time,” the police department said.

“Officers have also received information indicating the vehicle may have been traveling at a high rate of speed prior to the collision.”

Karoline Leavitt and Lara Trump’s makeup artist sizzles in glam getaway pics

Officials noted that investigators are still trying to verify whether the car was traveling at a high speed.

“This collision is a devastating tragedy that has deeply impacted the families of those involved and the Santa Maria community as a whole,” Santa Maria police said.

“The loss of so many young lives is difficult to comprehend, and our hearts go out to the victims’ families, friends, classmates, loved ones, and all those affected by this heartbreaking event.”

A roadside memorial was set up soon after the crash, which has since been filled with flowers, candles, stuffed animals, handwritten tributes and liquor bottles.

Nicolas Munoz-Gautreaux, 17, wearing a gray Kappa hoodie and black pants.
Nicolas Munoz-Gautreaux, 17, had been at a graduation party hours before the crashCredit: GoFundMe
Isabella Star Vigil posing with her tongue out, wearing a blue ribbon in her hair and a black jacket with a "GO" emblem.
Guendi Beatrice Gamez Escalante, 16, was another victim of the fatal accidentCredit: GoFundMe
Isabella 'Bella' Vigil, 16.
Isabella “Bella” Vigil’s family described her as a “bright, beautiful soul who brought joy, laughter, and love to everyone who knew her”Credit: GoFundMe
Isabella Star Vigil in a denim jacket and jeans, standing in front of red and blue balloons.
Yusbeli ” Ava” Diaz Galvez was hospitalized after the crash but succumbed to her injuriesCredit: GoFundMe

A stuffed animal of Stitch from the Disney movie Lilo & Stitch was sat next to photos of Yusbeli Diaz Galvez, who was also known as “Ava,” according to the Santa Barbara News-Press.

Her family set up a GoFundMe following the crash, saying she was a bright soul who “cherished her family and friends and had a special way of bringing joy to everyone around her.”

“After the accident, Ava was transported to the hospital, where she fought courageously until the very end,” the fundraiser read.

Several childhood photos of 16-year-old Isabella “Bella” Vigil at Chuck E. Cheese were laid out around handwritten tributes, flowers and candles.

She was described as a “bright, beautiful soul who brought joy, laughter, and love to everyone who knew her,” in a GoFundMe set up by her family.

Jennifer Gutierrez’s family said in a GoFundMe that she would have turned 20 on June 28.

Reyna Vaca, who stood near the memorial on Tuesday, told News-Press she saw one of the victims, Munoz-Gautreaux, just hours before the fatal crash.

“We were at a graduation party, and he came up to me. He was just really, like, really happy,” she said.

“We were standing in a group, talking and laughing.

“It’s just so unreal, especially being with someone like hours before they pass away.”

Vaca described the 17-year-old as someone who “loved to have fun.”

“I’m obviously close with all his friends, so just seeing them go through it, like people who know him more than I do. Yeah, it sucks to see them,” she said.