ESCONDIDO, Calif. -- Authorities publicly identified the three San Bernardino-area women killed along with a 9-year-old boy in a collision on State Route 78 in Escondido as they were headed home from a family Christmas party Sunday night.
Irani Afrida Pasaribu, 40, of Highland; Ris Kartini Panjaitan, 65; Dameria Pakpahan, 75, of Grand Terrace; and Timothy Silalahi, 9, of Loma Linda, were fatally injured when the 2003 Toyota Sequoia in which they were riding collided with a 2014 Chevrolet Sonic sedan on the eastbound freeway near Nordahl Road shortly after 10:30 p.m. Sunday, according to the California Highway Patrol and the county Medical Examiner's Office. Timothy Silalahi's name was made public Monday.
The driver of the Chevy Sonic, whose name was not immediately available, told investigators he saw a SUV in his path as he was attempting to change lanes, California Highway Patrol Officer Jim Bettencourt said.
He veered into the path of the SUV and the vehicles collided. Both vehicles went down an embankment, but the SUV rolled several times and crashed into a tree, authorities said.
In addition to the four people killed, the 19-year-old woman thought to be the SUV's driver and two other passengers were hospitalized with moderate to major injuries. They were believed to be residents of the Loma Linda area, where they were headed after a holiday party.
The Sonic's driver was placed under arrest on suspicion of vehicular manslaughter following the collision and was taken in for further questioning, according to the CHP. It was not immediately known whether drugs or alcohol were factors in the crash.
