Fatal crash claims lives of two men

Victims identified as 34-year-old Joel Thomas Godfrey and 18-year-old Collin Charles Gore

Two people lost their lives as a result of excessive speeding in a deadly Valencia crash, marring the first hour of the Independence Day holiday.

Those killed in the fiery, head-on collision were 18-year-old Collin Charles Gore and 34-year-old Joel Thomas Godfrey, according to the Los Angeles County Coroner’s Department.

Gore was a resident of the Santa Clarita Valley and a recent graduate of Hart High School. The coroner did not have information about Godfrey’s city of residence.

At 12:10 a.m. Tuesday reports of a traffic collision near McBean Parkway and Decoro Drive came into the 911 center at the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station.

Initial reports indicated a white BMW sedan was racing, lost control, clipped something and careened into oncoming traffic, according to sheriff’s Lt. Chuck Becerra. Upon further investigating, street racing was ruled out and excessive speed was ultimately determined to be a contributing cause.

The investigation determined the 34-year-old

driver of the BMW was traveling northbound on McBean Parkway near Decoro Drive at a high rate of speed when his vehicle hit a tree and careened into oncoming traffic, according to a statement posted to the sheriff’s station’s Facebook page at 6:44 a.m.

The BMW then slammed head-on into a Honda Accord which caused the 18-yearold driver of that vehicle to be ejected.

Both vehicles came to a rest about 100 feet apart on the southbound side of McBean Parkway just south of Decoro Drive. The BMW caught fire.

Both drivers died at the scene, Becerra confirmed.

As law enforcement officials across the country geared up for the busy Fourth of July holiday, local units also hit the streets enmasse to curb the number of deadly crashes on Santa Clarita’s roadways.

“We have our entire field force deployed over the next 24 hours to do everything we can to keep everyone as safe as possible,” Becerra said early Tuesday.