California teen killed days after graduation when car flies off freeway

A Bay Area teenager was killed in a tragic car crash over the weekend, just days after graduating from high school. The deadly May 30 crash happened around 1:30 a.m. on eastbound Interstate 80 near the Seventh Street off-ramp in San Francisco, according to the California Highway Patrol. Investigators say an 18-year-old driver behind the wheel of a Chevrolet Camaro made an unsafe movement to the right and collided with a tractor-trailer traveling nearby. The impact sent both vehicles into a row of crash-absorbing sand barrels positioned along the freeway. While the truck was able to come to a stop on the roadway, the Camaro was not. Authorities said the car vaulted over a metal bridge railing and plunged roughly 25 feet into a police impound yard below. The Camaro struck several empty cars before flipping over and landing on its roof. The driver was able to climb out on his own and was taken to a hospital with moderate injuries. A 17-year-old front-seat passenger also suffered moderate injuries. Firefighters used hydraulic rescue tools to free two passengers trapped in the back seat. An 18-year-old passenger sustained major injuries and was hospitalized. A 17-year-old boy, who authorities said was not wearing a seat belt, was declared dead at the scene. Officials have not publicly identified the victim, but reporting by SFGATE confirmed he had just graduated from Hillsdale High School days before the fatal collision. "There are no words that can fully capture the grief and shock of losing a member of our Hillsdale High School family," the San Mateo Union High School District said in a statement obtained by the outlet. The crash shut down portions of Interstate 80 for several hours as investigators worked the scene. CHP officials said neither drugs nor alcohol appear to have played a role. Investigators are still trying to determine exactly what led to the collision, including whether speed was a factor. The crash remains under investigation.