3 victims in fatal Downey crash identified as U.S. Marines

DOWNEY — Three of the four people killed in a single-vehicle crash on the southbound Santa Ana (5) Freeway in Downey were U.S. Marines, authorities said Tuesday.

All four were pronounced dead at the scene of the crash that occurred about 2:30 a.m. Saturday. The name of the fourth victim was withheld, pending notification of relatives.

Three of the victims -- Daniel Nichols, 26, Joshua Moore Jr., 27, and Rodrigo Zermeno Gomez, 21 -- were Marines based at Camp Pendleton, KCAL reported, citing information from base officials.

According to the Los Angeles Daily News, two of the deceased Marines were assigned to Combat Logistics Regiment 1, 1st Marine Logistics Group, I Marine Expeditionary Force. The third Marine was assigned to the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit, I Marine Expeditionary Force, according to First Lt. Sean Waterman at Camp Pendleton, the Daily News reported.

Authorities believe that the crash occurred after the driver of a Dodge Challenger lost control of their vehicle for an unknown reason and hit a guardrail on the side of the freeway before slamming into the wall beneath the Lemonran Avenue pedestrian bridge, according to KCAL.

The force of the collision ``caused the vehicle to split in two, subsequently ejecting the two rear passengers onto the right shoulder," said a statement from California Highway Patrol.

KCAL reported all were ejected during the crash.