Gallery: Two San Gabriel residents killed in DUI crash

ALHAMBRA - Two San Gabriel residents were killed and two others injured early Tuesday after the car in which they were in fell at least 60 feet from a freeway overpass.
Killed were Manolo Magat, 23, and Joseph Almario, 21, both of San Gabriel. The men were pronounced dead at the scene, California Highway Patrol officer Doris Peniche said.
The driver of the car was identified as Christine Meng, 22, of San Gabriel.
A 2008 graduate of Gabrielino High School, Meng has been charged with felony driving under the influence and could face additional charges, officials said.
"Right now she is under arrest and she is being charged with felony DUI," Peniche said. "There's a possibility she may be charged with vehicular manslaughter, maybe even murder."
Meng's car, a black Toyota RAV4 was traveling in the HOV/busway lane from the westbound I-10 to the southbound 710 Freeway at 1:05 a.m. at an unknown speed, police said.
Peniche said Meng failed to make the turn along the ramp, sending her car through the guard wall and onto the transition road between the westbound I-10 and the southbound 710.
Almario was sitting in the front right seat and was partially ejected from the car. Magat was
sitting in the right rear seat and flew to the rear of the car, Peniche said.Everyone in the car was wearing a seatbelt, officials said.
As a result of the crash, Meng, 22, broke her arm and three vertebrae. Passenger Jason Lieu, 22, of San Gabriel, sustained an abrasion to the forehead and laceration to the back of the head. Both were taken by ambulance to Los Angeles USC Medical Center for treatment.
Peniche said a Caltrans employee working on nearby construction witnessed the crash and notified the CHP. The accident closed the 710 connector road for three hours.
Magat graduated from Gabrielino in 2007, and Almario and Lieu in 2008. Lieu is the son of Vincent Lieu, who is heavily involved in the SGUSD and the San Gabriel Educational Foundation, San Gabriel Unified School District Superintendent David Yoshihara said Tuesday.
Yoshihara said the district was sad to learn about the loss of two alumni, and that GHS counseling staff has been made aware of the incident and is available for crisis counseling for students.
He said he was not aware of any memorial planned at this point, but would keep students and parents informed.
"Our hearts go out to the families and friends that have been touched by this," Yoshihara said. "We will certainly let the school community know if we find out anything from these families."
Peniche said these kinds of accidents can be easily prevented. Though warnings about driving under the influence have increased in recent years, she said the CHP has still seen an uprise in DUI accidents.
"More and more we're seeing a lot of DUI drivers out there," she said. "We are just asking people if you are going to drink don't drive, get a designated driver."

Unfortuantely, too many drivers continue to drink and drive on the California freeways including the 10 freeway, the 60 freeway and other major freeways and surface streets in and around West Covina and the rest of the San Gabriel Valley.  For a free consultation regarding any accident or injury claim in San Gabriel, West Covina, Los Angeles or surrounding areas, call the West Covina accident and injury toll free hotline: 866-229-0101