A 21-year-old woman was among three young people that have been identified as victims in a horrific Wrightwood crash that left four dead early Friday — as authorities revealed alcohol may have contributed to the wreck and none of the passengers were wearing seatbelts.
Rebekah Cabral-Gonzalez, 21, died alongside Jason Potter, 19, Nevaeh Harper, 20, and an unidentified fourth passenger, officials said.
Two others were injured in the single-car crash after their 2016 Hyundai Veloster veered off Highway 2’s scenic mountain road and crashed into a utility pole around 1:30 am, authorities said.
A preliminary investigation showed that none of the passengers were wearing seatbelts at the time, according to the California Highway Patrol. Five of the six were ejected from the hatchback.
Sign up for the California Morning Report newsletter
California’s top news, sports and entertainment delivered to your inbox every day.
Thanks for signing up!
The two survivors were receiving care at Arrowhead Regional Medical Center, where they were listed in critical condition. All of the victims were from Wrightwood, a small mountain community in San Bernardino County.
Police believed alcohol to be a “contributing factor” to the crash.
Several friends of Cabral-Gonzalez posted online tributes mourning the young woman.
“I really wish [R]ebeka, the most kind and generous soul I have ever encountered and will ever encounter, can rest in peace,” one wrote on Instagram. “She was such an incredible voice for the unvoiced and a beautiful soul that could never be replaced…you of all people deserved to be here right now.”
Cabral-Gonzalez’s social media profiles list her as having studied psychology at the University of Arizona in 2025. She listed her jobs as a certified ski instructor and an Applied Behavior Analysis technician.
One Wrightwood resident told KTLA that the victims were “kids from town” who liked to hang out at the local skate park.
“They just wanted to cruise up the highway, go look at the stars,” the resident, Johnny Stull, said. “And they’re dead now.”
Download The California Post App, follow us on social, and subscribe to our newsletters
California Post News: Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X, YouTube, WhatsApp, LinkedIn
California Post Sports Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, X
California Post Opinion
California Post Newsletters: Sign up here!
California Post App: Download here!
Home delivery: Sign up here!
Page Six Hollywood: Sign up here!
