Thursday, 4:30 PM
Police identify victims of fiery Saugus crash
By Maria Cramer, John R. Ellement, and Raja Mishra, Globe Staff
SAUGUS -- Police late today identified the victims in a horrific wreck that killed three young men and seriously injured a fourth.
The crash, police said, killed Eladio Calderon, 22, of Peabody; Jean-Carlos DeJesus, 17, of Salem; and Patrick McLaughlin, 19, of Salem.
After lying motionless in the street, the fourth victim, Jonathan Monserate, 16, struggled to his feet, astonishing residents awakened by the explosion. He was rushed with head injuries to Massachusetts General Hospital, where he was listed in fair condition last night.
Saugus police said that they had so far determined only that excessive speed was to blame for what is among the state's deadliest recent crashes. Toxicology tests on the victims are still pending, however. The investigation has been hampered by the inability to determine who was driving, said police, who said they still hope to reconstruct what happened.
The crash, just after 3 a.m. today, woke residents on Essex Street, a cut-through neighborhood road near busy Route 1. Friends said they had no idea where the four were headed or what they were doing out so late. One friend, Jeff Zajak, 32, said it was unlikely any of them had been drinking.
