Emotional Vigil Held For 2 Best Friends Killed In Fiery Irvine Crash
IRVINE (CBSLA.com) — An emotional vigil was held Sunday for two Orange County men -- best friends -- killed in a fiery crash that also left three people critically injured.
The crash happened just before 3 a.m. Saturday at the intersection of Harvard Avenue and Michelson Drive .
Dozens gathered at the intersection Sunday to give their friends a proper and emotional sendoff.
KCAL 9's Jennifer Kastner was there and talked to people who remembered their friends -- besties.
They were overcome with grief and stunned by sadness, she reported.
They also walked in solidarity along the same street where Kasean Herrera and his best friend Jeremy Shankling were killed.
"I have come to know what the worst sound in the world is. That's of hearing my wife and daughter wailing with grief," said Matt Batham, Herrera's step father.
"We never hung up the phone without saying I love you. That was the last thing he told me -- mommy I love you," said Michelle Batham, Herrera's mother.
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Both men were in their early 20s. Both remembered as ambitious and bright, UC Irvine graduates, both working as software engineers.
"To lose Jeremy like this, it's a hard pill to swallow. a real hard pill to shallow." said Shankling's cousin, Leroy Joseph.
Tonight, it is still unclear what caused the fiery crash that killed Herrera -- who was driving -- and Shankling, his passenger.
Police said the Hyundai Elantra driven by Herrera collided with an Infiniti Q50 that burst info flames.
The driver of the Infiniti was pulled from the fire and is now in the hospital. Also in the hospital, two women who were in the backseat of the Elantra.
Families are struggling to process how deep the pain now runs.
"I just wish I could see him walk in through the door again so I could tell him ' I love him.' I'm gonna miss him," said Carol Medina, Herrera's cousin.
