Three young men who died in car crash were M-A alumni, superintendent says

The three young men who died in a car crash on Skyline Boulevard near Woodside some time on Tuesday night (Oct. 31) or Wednesday morning (Nov. 1) were alumni of Menlo-Atherton High School, according to a Nov. 1 letter to the community from the superintendent of the Sequoia Union High School District.

“On behalf of the Sequoia Union High School District, I am extending our deepest condolences to the families of those whose lives were lost in this tragedy. In this time of grief and pain, we must provide the impacted families, and each other, with love and support as we are forced to deal with the unimaginable,” Superintendent Mary Streshly said in the letter.

The young men — Andrew Rogelio Gonzales, 18, of Menlo Park; Matthew Edward Eric Cruz, 18, of Redwood City; and Ricardo Seneca Torres, 19, of Redwood City — were identified as the deceased by the San Mateo County Coroner’s Office on Nov. 1.

Mr. Cruz and Mr. Torres graduated in June, according to the district office. Mr. Gonzales attended M-A for his ninth, tenth and eleventh grades, the office said.

Ms. Streshly said the Sequoia district will be assigning additional counselors to M-A “for any students and staff that may feel the need to talk to someone about their emotions.”

“Although words do not have the power of bringing those we lose back, they are critical in the healing process our community will have to go through over time,” she said in her letter. “I encourage you to share your feelings and your memories as those we lose never leave our hearts when we keep their memories alive.”

The men were found Wednesday morning in a car that had crashed into a tree and came to rest on its wheels some 50 feet down an embankment, the California Highway Patrol reported Wednesday.

The accident occurred just south of the intersection of Highway 35 and Bear Gulch Road.

The men were all wearing seat belts, the CHP said.

Officers arrived at the scene at about 7:50 a.m. Wednesday after a call from the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office. (The CHP has jurisdiction over traffic incidents on Highway 35.)

Investigators say the accident happened overnight, but it’s not known whether it happened before or after midnight.

The vehicle, a 2010 Hyundai, was traveling south when it collided with a tree on the west side of Highway 35 and apparently plummeted down the embankment. It’s not clear how fast the car was going or whether drugs or alcohol were factors in the accident, the CHP said.

The CHP announced at 8:08 a.m. Wednesday that Skyline Boulevard was closed in both directions. At 4:43 p.m., the CHP said the road was reopened.

The CHP is asking witnesses to the accident to contact Officer Brian Wester at (650) 369-6261.

—

Editor’s note: An earlier version of this story said officers arrived at the scene on Tuesday morning. There was confusion about the date of the accident since the CHP report was dated Tuesday, Oct. 31.

—