Passenger dies in crash; driver arrested

A 21-year-old man was killed in Huntington Beach this weekend after the car he was riding in crashed into the back of a parked semi trailer, Huntington Beach Police said. The driver was arrested on suspicion of DUI.

The Orange County Coroner’s office identified the victim as Juan Hernandez of Paramount.

Hernandez was hurled from a gray Honda Accord when the driver lost control and slammed into a semi trailer on Beach Boulevard north of Garfield Avenue about 10:30 p.m. Saturday, according to a preliminary police investigation.

Police believe speeding may have been a factor in the crash.

The driver, Adam Prieto, 21, also of Paramount, was taken to the UC Irvine Medical Center and treated for minor injuries. He was arrested on release and booked at the Huntington Beach Jail, police said.

The Coroner’s Office was conducting an autopsy Monday morning to determine the exact cause of death. The Huntington Beach Police Traffic bureau is investigating the crash.