Nearly two weeks after the three-car collision that killed two San Bernardino County teenagers in Victorville, the California Highway Patrol has arrested a 50-year-old driver they say had been racing and fled the scene.
Terry Easter turned himself in to the Victorville Police Department on Wednesday, Aug. 26, after the CHP announced that a warrant was issued for Easter’s arrest on Tuesday, Aug. 25, in connection with an Aug. 14 crash that killed Maddalyn Dailey, 17, and Isabell Hill, 16.
He was allegedly driving a yellow Chevrolet Camaro, one of the two cars speeding along Ridgecrest Road that authorities say hit Dailey’s Acura TL as it turned into the intersection from Elmwood Drive.
Victorville police turned Easter over to the CHP, Victorville CHP Officer Jebediah Wheeler said. During questioning, Easter declined to make a statement, Wheeler said.
Easter was arrested on suspicion of murder and vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence. Bail is set at $1 million, according to inmate records.
Easter is the second driver to be charged in the wake of the collision. George Sanchez, 49, was allegedly the driver of the third car involved in the collision — a black Dodge Charger that authorities say was speeding alongside the Camaro on Ridgecrest Drive. Sanchez remained at the scene of the collision and was arrested shortly after the crash on suspicion of vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence. Sanchez was released on bail, according to inmate records.
The CHP also announced an arrest warrant for Easter’s mother, Madge Wells, on Tuesday in connection with being an accessory to Easter. Both Wells and two other suspects, Ryan Lewis and Lukevy Yates, were initially arrested on suspicion of being accessories. “All three cooperated with investigators and were later released,” the CHP said in a news release.
Both Easter and Sanchez were allegedly driving at extremely high speeds through a residential area on Aug. 14, the CHP said. The collision caused Dailey’s Acura to split in half. Both Dailey and Hill were pronounced dead at the scene, according to coroner’s records.
Dailey and Hill were just starting their senior year of high school and were best friends, according to GoFundMe pages set up to support their families.
“Maddalyn had just begun her senior year at Sultana High School, with so much life ahead of her,” Dailey’s family wrote on a GoFundMe page. “She tragically lost her life alongside her best friend, leaving an unimaginable hole in the hearts of everyone who knew and loved them.”