Coroner IDs Area Teen Killed In Hwy 9 Crash

SANTA CLARA COUNTY, CA – A teen killed in a car crash off of state Highway 9 east of Saratoga Friday afternoon has been identified as 16-year-old Justin Quintos of Cupertino, according to the Santa Clara County medical examiner's office.

Quintos was driving a Subaru downhill on southbound Highway 9 near Sanborn Road around 3:20 p.m. when he lost control of the vehicle, which went off the roadway and down a 50-foot embankment, California Highway Patrol Officer Ross Lee said.

The Subaru then crashed into a tree and caught on fire, trapping the 16-year-old boy inside as the vehicle was engulfed in flames, Lee said.

His two passengers, 17-year-old boys from Fremont and Santa Clara, were able to escape, according to Lee.

Santa Clara County park rangers who reported the crash had been driving in the area when they noticed fresh dirt nearby and saw the two passengers walking up the embankment, Lee said.

Emergency crews were able to extinguish the fire and pull the Subaru back to higher ground, where they used the Jaws of Life to extricate Quintos from the car, according to Lee.

The 16-year-old boy was pronounced dead at the scene and the two passengers were left with minor injuries, Lee said.

The surviving teens told officers that the driver was speeding down the windy road before the crash, Lee said.

Investigators do not suspect drugs or alcohol were involved in the crash, according to Lee.

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