Possible Evidence of Alcohol in Fatal Pasadena Crash, Police Say – NBC Los Angeles

Authorities began investigating whether alcohol and speed were factors in the crash that killed three people and injured three others Saturday morning, an official said.

Preliminary reports indicate that the car was driven by 22-year-old Mohed Samuel, according to Lt. Antony Russo of the Pasadena police station was nearly three times faster than the posted speed limit of 35 mph when it lost control and crashed into a residence on Foothill Boulevard.

“There was evidence that there was alcohol in the car. However, at this time we were unable to determine whether the driver was impaired or under the influence of alcohol,” Russo said.

Surveillance footage showed a white Tesla speeding down Foothill Boulevard after running a red light before crashing into a building near Vista Avenue around 2:30 a.m. Saturday.

In addition to the 22-year-old driver, another 22-year-old in the passenger seat was killed in the violent accident.

Among the four people in the back seat, one, 20-year-old Stefan Michael Pfeiffer, was ejected and died. Three others were hospitalized.

Police did not believe the driver hit the brakes before losing control, Russo said.

“The collision of this magnitude – two of these survivors were ejected from the vehicle and the other remained in the vehicle – you can imagine there was significant trauma,” Russo explained.

The extensive damage to the building led to power outages in the area as the car also knocked down power lines and came to rest about 100 feet (30 meters) from the accident site, Russo said.

663 residents and businesses were without power by Saturday afternoon.

“The structure struck was marked yellow and sustained significant damage,” Lisa Derderian, spokeswoman for the city of Pasadena, said in a statement Monday. “Luckily it was empty and there was no one in there at the time.”