Victims of suspected Santa Ana street racing crash identified

On Saturday, April 20th, 2019 at approximately 9:18 pm the Santa Ana Police Department (SAPD) Dispatch began receiving numerous calls reporting a traffic collision with a vehicle on fire in the 3200 block of S. Bear Street.

Jerman Marquez

As the first officers arrived on-scene, they found the vehicle to be fully engulfed in flames. Orange County Fire Authority (OCFA) personnel responded to the collision scene and extinguished the flames. Inside the vehicle, police and fire personnel located two deceased occupants –
Jerman Marquez, 39, and Richard Inda, 29.

The preliminary investigation of this collision has revealed the unidentified vehicle was headed north on Bear Street from MacArthur Boulevard possibly involved in a street race with another vehicle. As the two involved vehicles passed through Alton Avenue, one of them lost control before striking a tree in the center median of Bear north of Alton. The other vehicle involved in this possible street race and its driver are outstanding and unidentified. The cause of this collision remains under investigation, according to the SAPD.

The Santa Ana Police Department’s Collision Investigation Unit (CIU) responded to the collision and handled the investigation. Anyone having possible information about this collision is asked to contact the Santa Ana Police Department’s Traffic Division at (714) 245-8200.

The family and friends of Marquez have launched a GoFundMe page to help raise funds for his funeral.

Art Pedroza Editor
Our Editor, Art Pedroza, worked at the O.C. Register and the OC Weekly and studied journalism at CSUF and UCI. He has lived in Santa Ana for over 30 years and has served on several city and county commissions. When he is not writing or editing Pedroza specializes in risk control and occupational safety. He also teaches part time at Cerritos College and CSUF. Pedroza has an MBA from Keller University.
Art Pedroza

Our Editor, Art Pedroza, worked at the O.C. Register and the OC Weekly and studied journalism at CSUF and UCI. He has lived in Santa Ana for over 30 years and has served on several city and county commissions. When he is not writing or editing Pedroza specializes in risk control and occupational safety. He also teaches part time at Cerritos College and CSUF. Pedroza has an MBA from Keller University.

View Comments

  • How about a GoFundMe for the tree? Accidents happen, but the residents have no sympathy for those who race in our neighborhood.

    • If you didnt read this post correct BITCH! You would of seen that the "go fund me" was for the passenger of the vehicle. Now we all make wrong mistakes in our years. And you cant sit there make dumb ass comments. What if that wer your kid hoe! Then what??? Think about that asshole! "REST IN PARADISE SLIENCIO"

      • And as the passenger he has the biggest responsibility of all; to stop his friend from making a mistake that could (and did) cost them both of their lives. This story deserves a TON of media coverage; the passenger's story should be used as an example of what you should NOT do: Friend's don't let friends street race!

    • That's the norm in Santa Ana. People race all the time and when their stupidity gets to them, they want to start a donations page. They should of thought about buying their box before they started racing......lucky the tree was in the way an not an innocent car passing by!!!

    • THIS IS SO SATISFYING THAT ANOTHER RACER LOOSES HIS LIFE. THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU RACE...DUMB-ASS!!!!

  • People never listen! No racing in the streets....If you think you have a fast truck or car in Santa Ana, you do not.

    People in Santa Ana prefer to have a nice car but they live with 20 other family members in the same roof. All think they have fast cars but their exhaust is louder than the car.

    That's the norm in Santa Ana......20 cars to one house, and the house is falling down, but they all want a nice car....

    • Why do you sound jealous that someone can afford a nice car and assume they live in a house with 20 people. Go to school, get your money because you sound broke ass shit!!

  • I think regardless if it was a dumb thing to do or not 2 families lost a loved one we should instead pray they find peace in there hearts and I hear racing every night around my house in this area it's very loud and scary and the night before I said oh good I hope no one gets hurts very sad

    • I knew silent personally I spent some time with him in a Firecamp where. I got to know him as a person in so saddened by this tragedy and I send out my deepest condolences he was and awesome person and a great artist I remember all the paintings and boxes he made in camp he will for sure be missed he loved his family he would always talk about that Rest In Peace and I know he is with the Lord Jesus

  • A street race ended this guy life , just think of all the other shit this foo had to go through , only to get kilt by a tree by his own fault.

Recent Posts

Tilly’s Life Center raised over $500K to support youth programs, at their annual O.C. gala

Tilly’s Life Center’s (TLC) recently raised over half a million dollars to support their youth…

51 minutes ago

A small plan crashed near the Fullerton Airport this afternoon

On November 25, 2024, at approximately 1:46 PM, Fullerton Fire and Police personnel responded to…

1 hour ago

Firefighters had to extricate victims from two car crashes in Garden Grove last Friday

OCFA fire crews responded to two significant vehicle accidents in Garden Grove last Friday, requiring…

6 hours ago

An SUV was totally wrecked after hitting two light poles and a tree in Newport Beach

On November 24th, 2024, at approximately 1:00 a.m. Newport Beach Fire Department units NE63, NT63,…

9 hours ago

The SAPD arrested a man suspected in an armed robbery at a gas station

‼️UPDATE‼️ Earlier today, our robbery detectives arrested November 20, 2024, #WantedWednesday suspect Izaya Cuellar (35)…

22 hours ago

Driver arrested for destroying the lawn of a Costa Mesa park while doing donuts with his vehicle

Late Friday night, police officers responded to Balearic Park regarding a vehicle doing “donuts” on…

23 hours ago

This website uses cookies.