Two young men killed in high-speed crash in Palm Desert

Two young men were killed in Palm Desert early Friday morning when their car crashed into a wall at high speed.

The accident occurred on a dirt road next to a warehouse off Painters Path near Fred Waring. The Riverside County Sheriff’s Office said investigators learned of the accident just before 3 a.m., but it wasn’t reported to dispatch until 6 a.m.

“Evidence found at the scene indicated that the driver of the vehicle was traveling westbound on Fred Waring Drive at a high rate of speed. It failed to stop at the intersection with Painters Path before colliding with a wall. Additional evidence at the scene indicated that drugs/alcohol likely played a role in this collision,” the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release.

Two people were able to be freed from the car.

The driver was pronounced dead at the scene. He was identified as Aden Frankie Hernandez, 20, of Thermal.

Authorities said the passenger suffered serious injuries and was taken to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead shortly after 8:00 a.m. The medical examiner’s office identified him as Carlos Juarez, 21, of Indio.

The accident remains under investigation. Anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to call Deputy Paul Abrego at the Palm Desert Sheriff’s Station at 760–836–1600.

Anyone wishing to report criminal activity and remain anonymous can call Crime Stoppers at 800–78-CRIME (800–782–7463) or 800–47-DRUGS (800–473–7847). You can also leave anonymous information at wetip.com.

Stay with News Channel 3 for updates.