Arrest made in fatal collision that killed 2 in South San Francisco

SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. -- A 19-year-old driver was arrested after he collided with another car while allegedly driving drunk late Friday night in South San Francisco, causing two of his passengers to be fatally ejected from the car.

Police arrested Joshua Maldonado on suspicion of driving drunk, vehicular manslaughter and second degree murder after a 18-year-old San Francisco woman and 21-year-old Brisbane man inside his vehicle were both ejected and pronounced dead at the scene, according to police.

The collision occurred just before midnight, around 11:55 p.m. at the intersection of Airport Boulevard and Pine Avenue, police Lt. Keith Wall said.

Upon arrival, officers and fire personnel found a green 1994 Honda Civic that sustained massive damage and had been cut in half.

Medical personnel determined the two passengers that had been ejected from the Honda suffered traumatic injuries and pronounced them dead at the scene.

The driver of the Honda, later identified as Maldonado, suffered non life-threatening injuries, according to police.

Another car at the scene, a Mazda, sustained minor damage and the driver and passenger in that car were uninjured, police said.

Officers concluded Maldonado was driving recklessly, traveling south on Airport Boulevard between 80 and 90 mph in a 35 mph zone. His Honda then had a glancing collision with the Mazda at the intersection at Pine Avenue, according to police.

The collision caused the Honda to strike a tree along the road, roll over and then strike a second tree, splitting the car in half.

Officers at the scene noted that Maldonado displayed signs of being intoxicated. He was taken to a hospital for treatment. After he was released from the hospital this morning, officers arrested him.

The names of the two people who died are not being released at this time, pending notification of their families.

Officers are continuing to investigate the incident, police said.