Patrick Gainer Obituary, Death – The identities of the four people who were killed after a vehicle collided and caught fire in the Granite Bay area of Placer County on Wednesday evening have been released by the authorities. On Thursday, the Placer County Sheriff’s Office reported that all three occupants in the car were locals to the city of Granite Bay. Jerry Cepel, 61 years old, a resident of Roseville, was confirmed as the driver. According to the California Highway Patrol Auburn division, the collision was reported at approximately 9:20 p.m. at the intersection of East Roseville Parkway and Brackenbury Way. The vehicle that crashed into the tree and caught fire contained four persons when it happened. KCRA 3 has established that the vehicle in question is a Mercedes CLS with a Roseville, California registration.
On East Roseville Parkway, David Martinez, a spokesperson for the California Highway Patrol’s Auburn division, stated that the vehicle was traveling at a speed that was far higher than the limit that was posted. After hitting a tree near Brackenbury Way, the vehicle allegedly went off the road and onto the shoulder before coming to rest. This information was provided by a witness. The collision was heard by a number of people, including Neil Roszkowski, who lives in the area. He described the sound as “not a typical sound at all, but a very, very loud thump.” When he arrived at the crossroads, he reported that the vehicle was completely engulfed in flames. Roszkowski stated that the flames were probably between 25 and 35 feet high. “I’ve never seen anything like it in my entire life.” When the loud boom was heard, Trevor Santa Cruz was also in the vicinity of the intersection. He, too, ran to offer assistance.
He stated that there was already one man present who was putting out the fire with an extinguisher. He claimed, “I raced to the gym to get a fire extinguisher, but it still didn’t help.” Despite his efforts, the fire continued to spread. Santa Cruz reported that they attempted to open the doors, but the intensity of the flames prevented them from doing so. “We were checking to see if someone was moving in the rear of the trunk by hammering on the back of it. Nothing or anyone was moving at all “he stated. When he looked back at the situation in the daylight, he realized there was nothing they could have done to save the soldiers, which is another thing he said.
