California

4 Dead, 2 Injured in 2-Car Crash on Christmas in Fair Oaks, Sacramento County

Four people were killed and two others suffered major injuries in a head-on collision on Christmas near Sacramento.

The two cars collided near the intersection of San Juan and Palm avenues in Fair Oaks, northeast of Sacramento, around 1:30 a.m. Friday, according to the California Highway Patrol.

California Highway Patrol officer Chad Hertzell said a Buick LeSabre, carrying five passengers, caught fire, and three of the people inside were burned to death. It was fully engulfed in flames when authorities arrived on the scene. A fourth person was found dead on the road.

"It looks like it was fairly high speed due to damage of the vehicles," Hertzell told reporters.

A fifth person from the Buick was taken to the hospital with major injuries, according to officers.

The driver of the second vehicle, a Subaru, was also taken to the hospital with major injuries.

NBC affiliate KCRA reported that the cause of the crash was still under investigation, but officers said speed appeared to be a factor in the severity of the injuries.

"Everything was just tossed around. It's very difficult for us to investigate,'' Hertzell told the Sacramento Bee.

Officers also noted that some of the passengers in the Buick were not wearing seat belts.

It was not known if drugs or alcohol played a role in the deadly crash. None of the identities has been released.

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