Authorities have identified two Beach Park men in their 20s who were killed Sunday after their vehicle went airborne for approximately 200 feet and crashed into an embankment near unincorporated Zion.
An autopsy showed that Angel Calderon, 23, and Miguel Mandujano, 27, both of Beach Park, died of blunt force injuries caused by a motor vehicle crash, according to Lake County Coroner Dr. Howard Cooper.
The Lake County Sheriff’s Office and Newport Fire Protection District responded around 6:45 a.m. Sunday to West Russell Road and Delany Road in Newport Township for a report of a single-vehicle crash with injuries.
Sheriff’s deputies arrived and located a 2006 Infiniti sedan with major damage, according to Lake County Sheriff Spokesman Sgt. Christopher Covelli.
A preliminary investigation shows the Infiniti, driven by Calderon, was traveling northbound on Delany Road. As the vehicle approached Russell Road, Calderon failed to reduce speed and drove the vehicle off the east side of the roadway, Covelli said.
This caused the Infiniti to go airborne for approximately 200 feet. The vehicle was airborne as it crossed Russell Road before crashing to the ground.
“Northbound Delany Road reaches a dead-end at Russell Road, and drivers must turn left or right onto Russell Road,” Covelli said, adding that excessive speed appears to be a factor in the crash.
Calderon and Mandujano, who was the front passenger seat, were both were pronounced dead at the scene. Cooper said that toxicology results are pending.
The crash remains under investigation by the Lake County Sheriff’s Office Technical Crash Investigations Unit and the Lake County Coroner’s Office.