Vigil Mourns 2 Teens Killed in Alleged DUI Crash Onto Torrey Pines State Beach

Intoxication is believed to be a factor in the crash, according to SDPD

Loved ones gather to mourn two 19-year-olds killed when a car plowed through a barrier and came to a stop on Torrey Pines State Beach on April 25, 2022.
NBC 7

Family and friends gathered at the site of a crash on Torrey Pines State Beach Sunday to mourn two 19-year-olds who were killed when a vehicle plunged down a bluff onto the sand last week.

Johnny Ildefonzo Punzalan and Joshua Adonai Manzanares, both of Lake Elsinore, were in a vehicle that plowed through a barrier, flipped and came to a rest on Torrey Pines State Beach on April 25, 2022.

The site of a deadly crash in Torrey Pines. Two 19-year-olds were killed and three others were injured when a car went through a barrier and onto Torrey Pines State Beach on April 25, 2022.
NBC 7
The site of a deadly crash in Torrey Pines. Two 19-year-olds were killed and three others were injured when a car went through a barrier and onto Torrey Pines State Beach on April 25, 2022.

An emotional vigil was held Sunday evening by the parents of Punzalan at the same beach.

Authorities said a 19-year-old driver, who has not been identified, lost control of his 2020 Subaru WRX and struck a center median, causing him to crash into a guardrail and go over a ledge onto the beach.

Intoxication is believed to be a factor in the crash, according to SDPD. The department did not say if the driver was arrested or what, if any, charges he may face.

The investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information on the case can make anonymous tips to CrimeStoppers at (888) 580-8477.

NBC 7's Nicole Gomez speaks to a man who was there as authorities responded to a deadly crash involving a car that went over a guardrail and landed on Torrey Pines State Beach.
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