The identities of the two women who were killed on Thursday afternoon in the Sun Village neighborhood when a pickup truck jumped a stop sign and smashed into their vehicle have been released by the authorities. According to the Los Angeles County Coroner’s Office and the California Highway Patrol, Ericka Gonzalez, 26, of Lake Los Angeles, and Esmeralda Rangel, 23, of Littlerock, were both pronounced dead at the scene of the collision after it occurred on Avenue R at 100th Street East at approximately 2:38 p.m. on Thursday, January 5. The collision was reported to have occurred on January 5.

A report by the CHP indicates that Gonzalez was behind the wheel of a 2020 Hyundai Venue while Rangel was a passenger in the vehicle as it moved down 100th Street East in the northbound direction. According to the CHP report, Gonzalez “stopped for the stop sign at the controlled intersection of Avenue R,” and then she proceeded into the intersection, where she was struck by a 2019 GMC Sierra that was driving eastbound on Avenue R at a “unsafe rate of speed” and “failed to stop for the posted stop sign.” Both of these violations were noted in the driver’s driving behavior.

A collision occurred between the front end of the GMC and the left side of the Hyundai. According to the CHP investigation, the collision between the GMC and the Hyundai caused the Hyundai to be propelled in a path that was farther to the northwest, where it then collided with a Toyota. According to the California Highway Patrol, the driver of the GMC, Juan Jose Escamilla, 41, of Littlerock, had minor injuries in the collision, and he was arrested at the scene of the accident.

According to the CHP report, which notes that further investigation is being conducted, “the participation of alcohol is thought to be a factor at this time.” According to the report provided by the CHP, a North Carolina resident named Jose Chavez, who was traveling as a passenger in the GMC, sustained moderate injuries as a result of the collision. According to the report filed by the CHP, Melissa Rodriguez, who is 28 years old and hails from Littlerock, and Iliana Rodriguez, who is 41 years old and hails from Palmdale, did not sustain any injuries as a result of the collision.

According to the California Highway Patrol, the collision also brought down a utility pole and electricity wires, which prompted them to notify Southern California Edison. The inquiry into the collision is still ongoing.