Vacaville residents identified as victims in horrific Highway 12 crash

RIO VISTA (CBS SF) --  Three Vacaville residents have been identified among those killed in Wednesday night's horrific head-on crash on Highway 12 in Rio Vista.

The Rio Vista police said Vacaville residents 20-year-old John Colvin, 19-year-old Erica Anderson and 19-year-old Lacey Conway died in the collision.  All three were in the Honda Accord. Colvin was ejected from the vehicle by the force of the impact as was one of the women.

One passenger in the SUV, Laura Poiret, also died. She was in her early-to-mid 70s.

"Our sincere condolences go out to family and friends of those killed in this tragedy as well as our wishes for a complete recovery of those who were seriously injured," police said in a release. 

Poiret and six other occupants in the Chevrolet Suburban were all members of a family on a one-week trip to California from Mexico.

 While they were not identified by name, Rio Vista police said, they ranged in age from 8 to 37-years-old. All six were being treated at local hospital for moderate to severe injuries.

According to police,  the Honda Accord was traveling westbound on Highway 12 when it veered off the roadway. Colvin then over-corrected and the vehicle entered the eastbound lane when it hit a large Suburban head-on.

Rio Vista Fire officials immediately dispatched units to the crash scene at around 8:15 p.m. When the fire department units arrived, they found that 10 people either injured or dead at the scene.

Rio Vista police chief John Mazer said police found numerous opened alcoholic beverage containers at the crash scene near the sedan and were investigating whether drunk driving was a crash factor 

He said it was the worst crash he has seen on the highway.

While the speed limit on the stretch of Highway 12 where the accident happened is 55 mph, many people drive faster, Mazer said.

"People see wide open roads and they just go for it and often it ends like this," he said.