Teens killed in Byron Highway crash mourned by friends

KNIGHTSEN, Calif. - Two teenagers were killed Saturday night in eastern Contra Costa County, and a drunk driver is to blame, according to police.

It happened in a rural part of the county on a narrow stretch of the Byron Highway.

The two deaths are being investigated as a criminal act.

The victims were an 18-year-old woman from Pittsburg and a 16-year-old boy from Oakley, officials said.

The driver, an 18-year-old from Knightsen, is suspected of being intoxicated when he ran into and killed the two teenagers with a Subaru, authorities said.

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Friends of the victims showed up to pay their condolences at the scene of the crime on Sunday afternoon.

Pain and anguish were evident as many young people visited a roadside memorial along the highway near Delta Road in Knightsen.

"Once he hit them, they were dead," said a friend of the victims who didn’t want to give his name.

A friend who wishes to remain unidentified tells KTVU the pair were leaving a quinceanera at a home on Byron Highway around 11pm when they were struck and killed along the roadside.

Friends of the victims’ say the terrible news was circulating throughout the night.

"I was somewhere else, and they called me and we came as fast as we could.  Her body was laying right there," said the friend who said he was close to the female victim.

KTVU is withholding names pending an official release from the coroner.

A young woman who didn’t give her name described the teen boy as an avid horse lover and compassionate friend.

"He was always caring. He was literally one of my biggest supporters. He would always make sure that we were happy and always just made sure we were doing good and well. He had such a big heart," she said.

As people gathered at the roadside memorial, some friends played music to console their grief.

One song was called "Siempre Clave." In parallel with this real life tragedy, the song is about the death of a young man who also loved horses, was beloved by friends and family, and sadly dies at the age of 16.