The Salinas-area community is mourning the tragic loss of three young people, Abigail Tinoco, Sebastian Burgos and Noah Trevino, who were killed in a head-on collision in Monterey County on Sunday evening. The Monterey County Sheriff’s Office coroner identified Abigail, 19, of Downey; Sebastian, 18, also of Downey; and Noah, 18, of Soledad, as the three people who died in the crash.
The collision happened shortly after 9 p.m. on Abbott Street between U.S. 101 and Harris Road, outside Salinas. According to the California Highway Patrol, a black Nissan Altima and a white Honda CR-V were involved in the crash. Investigators said the Honda crossed into the opposite lane for reasons that remain unclear before the vehicles collided head-on. The three people who died were passengers, while the two drivers survived.
Abigail was a 19-year-old UCLA student who had recently begun her second year of university. Her family described her as determined, funny and ambitious, and said she had graduated from Downey High School as salutatorian. She was involved in track and cross country, served as a youth president at her church and was pursuing a certified nursing assistant program alongside her UCLA studies. She hoped to build a career in law.
Sebastian was 18 and had just started his first quarter at the University of California, Santa Cruz, where he was studying biology. His family remembered him as someone who enjoyed drawing and running and hoped one day to become a veterinarian. His life, like Abigail’s and Noah’s, was still at an early stage, making the sudden loss especially painful for those who loved and supported him.
Noah Trevino, 18, was from Soledad. His family has also been receiving support following his death, while choosing to keep some details surrounding the tragedy private. His passing has left loved ones facing the difficult reality of losing a young person whose future still held so much promise.
The crash also left three other people with major injuries, according to authorities. The circumstances leading to the collision remain under investigation, and officials have not yet determined whether factors such as speed or impairment played a role. For the families of Abigail, Sebastian and Noah, however, the investigation cannot lessen the pain of losing them so suddenly.
Their deaths have brought together friends, classmates, university communities and loved ones in grief. Abigail, Sebastian and Noah will be remembered not simply as victims of a devastating collision, but as young people with families, friendships, ambitions and dreams ahead of them. Their lives were cut short far too soon, and the memories they leave behind will remain deeply meaningful to everyone who knew and loved them.
