Three Japanese college students were killed and five others were injured when the car they were in veered off a California freeway and struck a power pole, officials said Friday.
The eight students were trapped in the 2000 Honda Prelude after the crash late Thursday on state Route 78 in Oceanside, California Highway Patrol Officer Jim Bettencourt said.
The car went down an embankment and struck the pole, shearing it in half and leaving power lines dangling, Bettencourt said. The lines did not touch the ground.
The 19-year-old male driver and two passengers — a man and woman — were pronounced dead at the scene. Two women and three men suffered moderate to major injuries.