High Schooler, 16, Dead and 5 Classmates Injured After Truck Crashes into Tree
High schooler Rebecca Cespedes died after crashing her pickup truck into a tree in Dana Point, Calif., on May 6
The five others injured, including three critically, were also students at Dana Hills High School
An investigation into the crash is ongoing, authorities saidA 16-year-old high school student has died, and five of her classmates were injured after a truck crashed into a tree, authorities said.
Rebecca Cespedes, the driver of the pickup truck, was found dead at the scene after deputies responded to a single-vehicle crash in Dana Point, Calif., on Tuesday, May 6, just before 12 p.m. local time, the Orange County Sheriff's Department said.
'Deputies arrived and discovered that a pickup truck with six juveniles struck a tree,' the sheriff's deputies said.
The five other students in the vehicle were transported to local hospitals, officials said. Two boys and a girl were in critical condition, but are 'expected to survive.' The other boy and girl were treated for minor injuries.
"All juveniles are students at Dana Hills High School," the department said. "It is currently unknown if drugs, alcohol, or speed contributed to this traffic collision." An investigation is ongoing.
Authorities and Dana Hills High School did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's requests for comment.
A Dana Point resident, Mark Przybylak, told NBC affiliate KNBC that the accident sounded like a 'huge explosion.' On the edge of Dana Point Harbor Drive, where the accident occurred, a memorial has been placed with candles and flowers, according to the report.
In a letter shared with the high school community, Principal Brittany Casey confirmed that one student had died and five others had been injured.
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'We are aware this tragedy will affect our entire school family and have multiple counseling agencies and therapy dogs on campus providing support for any student or staff member in need,' Casey wrote in the letter, Fox affiliate KTTV reported.
'Dana Hills High School is a strong community,' she wrote, according to the outlet, 'who will come together for each other and the affected Dolphin families.'
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