Somber Irvine students back to class after crash that killed 5

At Irvine High School, students and others left flowers and photos and trinkets on a concrete retaining wall Wednesday as they headed to class for the first time since a fiery Memorial Day crash killed five people, including four of their classmates. Girls in white tops and jeans cried and hugged one another. Some boys stood, hands in pockets, heads bowed looking over the makeshift memorial.

“It’s a tight community within the school and the district,” said Keith Tuominem, Irvine Unified’s director of secondary education.

When something tragic happens to one person, everyone feels it, he said.

On Monday, the tragedy was multiplied by five.

Police said 17-year-old University High School student Abdulrahman M. Alyahyan, driving an Infiniti on Jamboree Road in Newport Beach, lost control of the vehicle, which smashed into a tree, split in two and caught fire. There were no survivors.

Along with Alyhyan, four Irvine High School students were killed: sisters Robin A. Cabrera, 17, a 12th-grader, and Aurora C. Cabrera, 16, a 10th-grader; and 11th-graders Nozad Al Hamawendi and Cecilia D. Zamora, both 17.

Authorities called Monday’s wreck the worst solo-car crash in memory. Police said speed played a role in the crash. The victims were apparently headed to the beach, according to wire service reports.

A few parents and staff members at Irvine High stood watch while news vans were parked across the street Wednesday.

About 9:15 a.m., staff told a reporter that media members weren’t allowed on campus so that students could have privacy, then directed students to move their memorial inside. Many students wore white out of respect for their dead.

At University High School in Irvine, Julia Knoell, 16, said campus seemed quieter Wednesday.

“I can kind of feel a vibe around the school,” she said.

“It kind of feels a little more somber,” said student Benjamin Efron, 18.

While he didn’t know Alyahyan personally, he was sad to hear of someone so close to graduation losing his life.

“It’s a reminder you really need to stay on track,” Efron said.

Efron said Monday’s crash served as a reminder to slow down behind the wheel, even if you’re late, because crashing isn’t worth the price.

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