UPDATE: Canyon Crash Victims Identified; Third Driver Being Sought

UPDATE, WEDNESDAY APRIL 3: Both victims of the crash have been identified. They are Alberto Casique-Salinas, 46, of Anaheim, and Armando Garcia-Gonzales, 38, of Santa Ana.

KTLA identified Robert M. Pettis, a Laguna Beach ear, nose and throat doctor, as the driver of the Tesla.

The driver of a third car, a Mercedes Benz, who was not at the scene when emergency crews arrived, is being sought for questioning by Laguna Beach police. Something had apparently occurred between Pettis and the driver of the Mercedes, which caused Pettis to swerve into the southbound lane and collide head on with the Honda.

The all-electric Tesla weighs 4,700 pounds, while the Honda Accord weighs 2,700, according to Laguna Beach Police Capt. Jason Kravetz.

Sgt. Louise Callus of the LBPD tells Patch that alcohol does not appear to be a factor.

UPDATE, 9:43 P.M. TUESDAY: The passenger in the Honda has been identified as 38-year-old Armando Garcia-Gonzales. The driver's name is still being withheld, pending notification of next of kin.

ORIGINAL POST: Two men were killed this morning in a head-on collision on Laguna Canyon Road that involved a Tesla, authorities said.

The collision occurred about 6:40 a.m. on Laguna Canyon Road between El Toro Road and the 73 toll road, Laguna Beach police Sgt. Louise Callus said.

Two men in a Honda Accord died at the scene. Their names were withheld, pending notification of their next of kin. The driver of the other vehicle, a Tesla, was taken to Mission Hospital in Mission Viejo for treatment of minor injuries.

According to the preliminary investigation, the northbound Tesla "for an unknown reason, veered into oncoming traffic," Callus stated. The Laguna Beach Police Department is being assisted by the Orange County Crime Lab in the investigation of the incident.

Laguna Canyon Road was closed in the area while an investigation was conducted, a closure that was continuing nearly three hours afterward.

-- City News Service