Family, friends identify teenagers killed in crash

Family and friends have identified the four teenagers involved in Friday’s fatal crash in East El Paso. Three died and one is in critical condition.

The four teenagers were identified as Montwood High School students Javier Mendoza, the car owner, Isaiah Bernal, Roberto Gallegos, and Jessie Montoya who is in the hospital. The El Paso Sheriff’s Office has not commented on the identities of the victims.

Dozens of friends and family members were at the crash site on Jobe Road in East El Paso Saturday morning. Lit candles sat on top of the charred road, next to a blackened bumper where the car had crashed and burned Friday afternoon.

Isaiah Bernal’s father told ABC-7 his family didn’t learn their son had died until that night.

“One of my nephews told us. They called and said there was an accident with four students from Montwood. We still didn’t know about our son because he hadn’t come back home, but yeah, he was in the accident and he died as well as two others,” Hector Bernal said.

Friends of the victims told ABC-7 they were planning to meet up with Bernal and the rest of the group later on in the day, but they stopped hearing from them on their phones and social media around 1 p.m.

The fiery wreck was reported at around 1:30 pm on the 13100 block of Jobe Road, a private road in Far East El Paso County.

The driver of the single vehicle involved in the wreck was heading east when the driver lost control of the vehicle. The vehicle rolled and erupted into flames, the sheriff’s office spokeswoman said.

Three of the occupants were pronounced dead at the scene.
The sheriff’s office special traffic investigators and crime scene unit is running the investigation.

Jobe Road has been site of several fatal wrecks over the years and the County has warned drivers about staying off the private road.

The El Paso County Sheriff’s Office has said the investigation continues and the fourth victim is still in critical condition.