A car crash took the lives of three young men in Anaheim early on Monday morning, near Harbor Blvd. and La Palma Ave.

The victims were in a white Mercedes that lost control just before 2 a.m. and went airborne before impacting against a brick wall and a fire hydrant.

The impact split the vehicle in two and it then started to burn intensely. The three victims are thought to have been in their 20’s.

The responding police officers at first had difficulty identifying how many people were inside the car as the crash was so severe.

The police responded quickly as they had a unit nearby but the fire made it too difficult for the police officer to provide aid to the victims. However they were able to pull one person out of the car, then tried to perform CPR, but that victim also did not survive.

The rescue was also hampered by the sheared fire hydrant as it sent water shooting into powerlines above the street causing explosions, according to the Anaheim Police Department.

Police said there was no indication that the car was street racing however speed may have been a factor in the fatal accident.