Excessive speed a factor in fiery solo crash that killed three people

Two 18-year-old women and a 47-year-old man died in a solo-vehicle crash off of Interstate Highway 680 in Walnut Creek on Tuesday night, according to the California Highway Patrol.

The Contra Costa County coroner’s office as of Thursday morning was not yet releasing the names of the victims in the crash reported at about 10:40 p.m. Tuesday near the North Main Street off-ramp from northbound Highway 680.

Investigators determined one of the 18-year-olds was driving a Pontiac Grand Prix that was going too fast and went off the off-ramp and into a dirt vegetation area where it struck a tree. The vehicle caught fire with all three people inside, killing them, CHP officials said.

The crash remains under investigation. Anyone with information about the case is asked to call the CHP’s Contra Costa-area office at (925) 646-4980.