By admin 
A 16-year-old girl and a 14-year-old girl were killed, and three other teenage girls were critically injured when a car crashed into a tree and caught fire early Sunday on a rural road near Sloughhouse in southeast Sacramento County, authorities said.
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The 16-year-old was driving the vehicle, according to the Sacramento County Coroner’s Office, which was expected to identify the girls in the coming days.
The crash occurred on Scott Road about a half-mile north of Latrobe Road near Deer Creek Hills Nature Preserve, according to Officer Angie Monroe, a spokesperson for California Highway Patrol’s East Sacramento office.
The first emergency alert came at 12:29 a.m., when an iPhone automatically notified first responders to a crash.
A nearby resident told dispatchers they heard tires screeching at high speed before the crash, according to the CHP incident log. Minutes later, another caller reported hearing people yelling for help from the burning vehicle.
Sacramento Metro Fire crews responded to reports of a vehicle fire after the car struck a tree, Battalion Chief Parker Wilbourn said.
“Two of the five were unfortunately pronounced deceased,” Wilbourn said. Three of the five teenagers were taken to local trauma centers with critical injuries, he said.
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CHP investigators said speed was a major factor in the crash. Investigators are still determining whether alcohol or drugs contributed, Monroe said.
All five girls in the vehicle were 16 or younger, according to the CHP.
Lisa Levasseur, a spokesperson for the Elk Grove Unified School District, said four of the teens were current district students. A fifth girl was a former student who had moved away from Elk Grove.
“One EGUSD student has passed away, and three others are currently undergoing medical treatment,” Levasseur said in a written statement.
The district is providing counseling and other support services for students and staff at three campuses.
“During this difficult time, the District is coordinating support services for students and staff, including counseling resources at Elk Grove High School, Katherine L. Albiani Middle School and Pleasant Grove High School,” Levasseur said. “We ask our community to keep the families and loved ones of those affected in their thoughts and to respect their privacy as they grieve.”
CHP said the investigation remained ongoing and that autopsies were expected to be completed this week.
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