Three members of a San Diego family died in a head-on collision Wednesday in Lemon Grove. Two other family members were hospitalized with injuries.
One of the victims has been identified by a relative as 18-year-old Lizbeth Soto.
Family members and friends are also mourning the loss of a 7-year-old girl and a 12-year-old boy.
A 20-year-old woman was hospitalized at Scripps Hillcrest while a 4-year-old girl was at Rady Children's Hospital.
The five victims were traveling in a black Acura as it made a left turn from Lemon Grove Avenue onto Massachusetts Avenue around 4 p.m. Wednesday.
The Acura collided with a gray SUV that was traveling south on Lemon Grove Avenue.
Deputies said the impact severely damaged the Acura and first responders used the jaws of life to extricate the victims.
Stan Harding was among the people who tried to help the victims after the crash. He said he got one passenger and a little girl out of a vehicle but the others were pinned inside.
"I stood right here and tears just came to my eyes," Harding said.
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Four dogs inside the Acura also died in the collision, officials said.
Investigators spent hours at the crash scene. Alcohol or drugs don't appear to be a factor, they said.
Initially deputies said they believed one of the drivers may have run a red light.
