A bride-to-be celebrating her bachelorette party was among the five people killed when a stretch limousine burst into flames while crossing a San Francisco area bridge, according to reports.
The bride, whose name has not been released, recently married and was celebrating with friends before she planned to return to her native Philippines for a second ceremony next month, her sister told the San Francisco Chronicle.
Nine female passengers were in the limo, along with a male driver, when it caught fire in the westbound lane of the San Mateo bridge late Saturday, California Highway Patrol officer Art Montiel told ABC News. The source of the fire was unknown, Montiel said, however he said officials believe it started in the back of the limousine before it quickly spread. “It does not appear that it [the limo] was involved in a collision, so it just appears that it was a vehicle fire,” Montiel said.
With the limo ablaze, other drivers stopped to help, CHP Officer Amelia Jack told ABC News.”The driver was able to get out, some good Samaritans did stop and assist and try and pull people from the fire,” Jack said. “We have no idea what actually happened yet, everything as I said is still under investigation.”Four women escaped the limousine and were being treated at two area hospitals for smoke inhalation and burns, according to authorities. The driver was not injured in the inferno.
The CHP identified the surviving passengers as Mary Grace Guardiano, 42, of Alameda; Nelia Rafael Arellano, 36, of Oakland; Amalia P. Loyola, 48, of San Leandro; Jasmine Desguia, 34, of San Jose. The driver’s name is Orville F. Brown, 46, of San Jose from Limo Stop, Inc., according to the CHP. – ABC
