Four young friends from California were killed in a devastating crash after their car plunged off a highway cliff, leaving grieving families now seeking support to cover funeral costs.

The deadly wreck happened early Friday, shortly before 1.30am, when a black Hyundai Veloster went off Angeles Crest Highway, rolled down a hillside and slammed into a telephone pole.

Authorities said five of the six people inside the vehicle were thrown from the car, and four died. The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s Office identified three of the victims as Rebekah Cabral-Gonzalez, 21, Jason Potter, 19, and Nevaeh Harper, 20.

Officials have not yet released the name of the fourth person killed, though tributes shared on social media identified him as Cole Torres.

‘The victims, all from Wrightwood, were traveling east on state Route 2 when the driver allowed the vehicle to veer to the right and leave the roadway,’ the California Highway Patrol (CHP) said.

‘The car overturned, traveled down an embankment and slammed into a power pole,’ the agency added.

The four young passengers were pronounced dead at the scene, while two others were transported to Arrowhead Regional Medical Center. 

The condition of the surviving passengers remains unclear. 

‘Preliminary investigation indicates that none of the occupants were wearing seat belts at the time of the collision, and that alcohol is likely a contributing factor in this crash,’ CHP said, according to the Antelope Valley Press.

GoFundMe pages were created for the families of those who died in the fatal crash. 

Rebekah was described as a ‘bright light, a free spirit with an incredible zest for life, a kind heart, and a genuine love for the outdoors.’

‘She was an athlete throughout school and found another great passion through music. She participated in several school bands, expressing herself through something she loved so deeply,’ the fundraiser said. 

According to the page, Rebekah worked as a ski instructor and met her students with ‘kindness, encouragement and understanding.’ This was particularly the case with children who needed extra assistance. 

‘That compassion carried into her dedication to behavioral health and special education. Rebeka worked with children with special needs, and those who knew her best often felt that this wasn’t simply a job for her, it was her calling,’ the tribute continued.

‘She had a natural ability to connect with people, especially those who needed someone willing to truly see them, listen to them, and believe in them.’

Rebekah, who had an ‘extraordinary bond’ with her twin sister Victoria, was said to be ‘unselfish with her time and gave far more than she ever expected to receive.’

‘That was simply who she was. She gave because she cared. She helped because someone needed help. She showed up for others without expecting recognition or anything in return,’ the GoFundMe continued.

‘She was a friend to everyone she encountered. Her kindness was not something you had to know her well to recognize, it was something people felt. Those who knew Rebeka will remember her as one of the kindest souls they ever met.

‘Her life was far too short, but the impact she made was not.’

Jason was said to be an ‘incredibly talented snowboarder who had a way of bringing so much life and energy into every space he entered.’

‘His infectious energy, his passion, and the way he connected with people made him someone who was deeply loved by his family, his friends, and so many in our community,’ his GoFundMe page said.

‘Jason touched more lives than he probably ever realized, and the love surrounding his family is a reflection of just how special he was.

‘Jason was deeply loved. His energy, his talent, and the joy he brought to those around him will never be forgotten.’

Nevaeh’s passing was described as a ‘heartbreaking loss’ that ‘touched the lives of hundreds of people who knew and loved her.’

‘She will be missed immensely. So many of us would trade anything to feel her love again. She inspired the people around her through her liveliness, and the impact she made on others is clear in the many lives this loss has shaken,’ the fundraiser said.

A friend of Jillian LeAnn Torres created a GoFundMe identifying the fourth victim as Jillian’s son Cole, saying he died alongside ‘three of his best friends.’

‘This loss has shaken not only Jillian, but the entire community, and the pain is still so fresh,’ the page said. 

‘Right now, Jillian is in a state of shock and trying to process something no parent should ever have to face. Her son had just learned at a gender reveal that he was going to be an uncle to a baby girl, which makes this loss feel even more devastating for everyone who loved him.’

An Instagram account dedicated to local snowboarding and outdoor sports also paid tribute to Cole and Jason, calling them ‘the best kids on the planet from the best families.’

The account also organized a candlelight vigil for the two young men, who used to snowboard together, and added: ‘Please be respectful these guys were beloved by everyone.’

As of Monday morning, the fundraisers for Rebekah and Nevaeh raised just over $9,000, while Jason’s GoFundMe garnered $13,400 and Cole’s saw $18,700 raised. The funds will go towards a variety of different things, from funeral costs to easing financial burdens on the families as they grieve. 

The Daily Mail reached out to the CHP and the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s Office for comment. 

KFC Australia is taking its breakfast menu beyond the terminal, confirming the morning range will roll out to additional restaurants only months after its low-key debut at Sydney Airport.

The fast-food chain is giving early risers a new way to kick off the day, with familiar breakfast favourites such as bacon and egg rolls, golden hashbrowns and avocado toast on the menu.

Following what KFC has described as a successful Sydney Airport trial, selected stores across the Gold Coast and Melbourne CBD will begin serving the breakfast items from 6am on Tuesday.

The expanded KFC breakfast range introduces ingredients not usually associated with the fried chicken giant, including fresh avocado lifted with lemon and pepper, alongside a sweet, smoky tomato relish designed to add a punch of flavour to the morning lineup.

Among the standout picks so far is the Bacon & Egg Roll, a customer favourite made with crisp bacon, soft egg and tomato relish, all packed into a toasted Turkish bun.

There’s an array of options to choose from, including BLAT, Chicken Toastie, and Bacon & Egg Pocket, which is a pocket-style toasted tortilla.  

But if you’re craving KFC for breakfast, the Brekkie Tower might be what you’re looking for. It features Original Crispy fillet, crispy bacon, fluffy egg, cheese, tomato relish and a golden hash brown, all served in a soft burger bun.

The Ultimate Brekkie Wrap is another one to try. It’s wrapped in a toasted tortilla with the Original Crispy fillet) layered with crispy bacon, fluffy egg, cheese, mayo and tomato relish.

Vanessa Rowed, CMO at KFC Australia said: ‘The next chapter for KFC is about staying true to the brand’s entrepreneurial spirit while continuing to reinvent for the next generation of customers and ever-changing consumer preferences and habits. 

‘We know Australians love their breakfast, and following the successful trial of KFC morning meals at Sydney Airport, we’re excited to roll out our new menu and give customers even more ways to enjoy KFC throughout the day.’

And it’s not just breakfast food on the menu. Customers can enjoy a new range of hot beverages, all made to order. 

Coffee fans can choose from a cappuccino, latte, flat white, mocha, long black or espresso, all made with a smooth, full-bodied coffee blend delivering bold, punchy flavour with rich notes of nut, chocolate and caramel. 

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Not a coffee drinker? Black tea and hot chocolate are also on the menu, meaning there’s a hot drink to kick-start every kind of morning.

KFC quietly launched the breakfast menu at Sydney Airport earlier this year.

Many nostalgic diners pointed out that the fast food chain used to offer breakfast menu items.

‘They’ve trialled it a lot of times, my local trialled it probably 15-20 years ago? I wanna say sometime between 2005-2010?’ one recalled.

‘KFC did breakfast back in the 90s,’ another shared.

‘KFC used to have brekky in Ballarat about 10 years ago. It was unreal,’ one added.

‘Hold up… I oddly remember KFC doing breakfast in Melbourne,’ another revealed.

‘KFC had brekkie back in the 90s. It wasn’t like this, but it was ace,’ one said.

Many former KFC employees remembered serving breakfast at their stores.

‘Back when I worked at KFC 26 years ago, we used to be open early morning and did a breakfast menu,’ one recalled.

‘The KFC I worked at had breakfast right up until about nine to 10 years ago, it was bloody delicious,’ another said.

The breakfast menu will now be available from 6am at 16 participating restaurants on the Gold Coast and 13 restaurants across Melbourne CBD from September 8.

Miami International Airport did not have a critical runway safety system that federal aviation officials say might have helped avert the Amazon cargo plane crash that left five people dead.

The Boeing 767, operated by North Carolina-based 21 Air, sped off a runway at the South Florida airport on Sunday, slammed into several vehicles and then burst into flames.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) confirmed that Miami International is not equipped with the Engineered Materials Arresting System (EMAS), a runway overrun protection feature now in place at more than 120 airports across the country.

The technology uses beds of lightweight, crushable material installed at the end of a runway, designed to slow and stop aircraft that travel beyond the pavement, according to the FAA.

Federal aviation officials have urged airports for years to adopt the system, which the FAA says has helped save at least 497 lives.

Despite this, EMAS is not a mandatory requirement and airports are permitted to use other FAA-approved methods to reduce the risk of planes running off runways.

The cargo plane overran the runway around 2pm Sunday after arriving from San Juan, Puerto Rico, and plowed across a road used by warehouse workers and other businesses that surround the airport. 

Five people died, three were critically injured and two others were hospitalized with less severe injuries, officials said. 

The crash, which sent thick black smoke billowing into the sky, trapped the pilot and copilot in the cockpit and some occupants in cars, said Miami-Dade Fire Rescue.

Crews also had to extricate a person who was trapped under a vehicle. It wasn’t immediately clear if the pilots were among those killed. 

Video of Sunday’s landing appears to show the Boeing 767 remaining airborne well down the runway before touching down. 

The jet had been traveling at 129mph as it exited the ‘usable runway’ amid thunderstorms and gusting winds, according to data from flight tracking site Flightradar24.

It then came to a rest near a parking lot that services an Amazon warehouse and other businesses, with photos from the scene showing the plane largely intact behind two semitrucks.

Automatic Dependent Surveillance broadcast data also showed the plane touched down on Runway 30 at about 167 knots, or about 192mph, and went off the runway at over 120mph.

Meanwhile, Miami’s own Automated Surface Observation System reports that the plane had tailwinds of 20 knots to 30 knots amid thunderous conditions.

Aviation experts said investigators will seek to determine exactly where the plane landed and, if it was beyond the normal touchdown zone, why the pilots did not abandon the landing and circle back for another attempt.

Investigators will also examine the plane’s speed and braking, weather and wind conditions, the aircraft’s mechanical condition and other factors that could have contributed to the deadly overrun. 

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has sent a team led by Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy to Miami, where she is expected to give the agency’s first briefing on the investigation Monday.

Six airports in Florida are already utilizing EMAS, Michael Meyers, manager of the agency’s Airport Engineering Division, told WPLG in February.

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The system is ‘designed to slow the aircraft down at a rate such that it doesn’t create too much stress on the landing gear so that it decelerates at a steady pace,’ he said.

‘EMAS does have a perfect record of saving all lives in every single incident that has occurred involving EMAS,’ he noted, adding that it is useful in South Florida, which ‘has some of the busiest airspace and aviation activity in the country.’

The product absorbs the weight of the aircraft and is designed for planes weighing more than 12,500 pounds.

‘It’s very similar to, like, riding from the parking lot onto the beach, into the sand,’ Runway Safe spokesman Trip Thomas explained.

‘So you ride your bike on the parking lot, it’s really easy to go, and then you ride straight and even right into the sand, all sudden it becomes very difficult. There’s a lot of drag on the wheels and that’s exactly, essentially what’s happening here.’

The system came in use last year when a small plane overran the runway in nearby Boca Raton, Florida, and the EMAS stopped the aircraft safely and prevented it from reaching the busy roadway just feet away.

Sunday’s crash halted flights at the busy travel hub for much of the afternoon.

Some 200 emergency personnel responded, finding the plane with heavy flames and smoke from a complex engine compartment fire, the department said. 

Firefighters used foam from specialized airport firefighting units to extinguish the fire, and crews were still dealing with a fuel leak on the plane hours later.

The Prime Air plane came to rest beside a roadway near two semitrucks, images showed. The aircraft appeared to be resting on its belly and was largely intact despite the fire.

The flight had been operated by 21 Air, a cargo carrier based in North Carolina. The 32-year-old Boeing 767 was originally built to carry passengers and flew for several airlines for more than two decades before being converted to a cargo plane in 2015.

Mary Schiavo, who is a pilot and former Inspector General of the Transportation Department, said the NTSB will also closely examine the maintenance history of this plane – particularly since it has a history of foreign ownership, including by a Russian company.

More than 160 flights were canceled and nearly 325 delayed by late Sunday, according to FlightAware, a website that tracks flight disruptions. 

Officials from Orlando International Airport, more than 200 miles north of Miami, said some flights were diverted there.

Amazon said in a statement that it would cooperate with any investigation.

‘We’re heartbroken to learn that five people lost their lives in today’s incident at Miami International Airport,’ the company said. ‘Our deepest sympathies go out to the families, loved ones, and all those affected by this devastating loss.’

Last year, a UPS plane crashed after losing its engine while accelerating down the runway at Louisville’s Muhammad Ali International Airport. The crash killed all three pilots and 12 people on the ground. Twenty-three more were injured.

A Sydney woman hoping for a long-awaited shot at love believed she had met her real-life Prince Charming on a luxury cruise — until an unexpected message from his hidden fiancée brought the fantasy crashing down.

Sammi, a 44-year-old mother-of-one, crossed paths with 41-year-old Brit Liam McAuley during a nine-day cruise from Sydney to the Whitsundays in August, and said she was quickly captivated by the charming passenger.

For years, romance had taken a back seat in Sammi’s life after she devoted herself to caring for her son, Jett, following his diagnosis with an aggressive form of brain cancer 14 years earlier.

McAuley, whom she nicknamed “Mr UK,” appeared to say all the right things, treating her to lavish dates and even introducing her to his mother as their cruise romance intensified.

By the end of the voyage, the pair were so close that other passengers reportedly assumed they were a long-married couple rather than two strangers who had only just met at sea.

And when the trip ended, the couple vowed to carry on their romance despite living on opposite sides of the world. 

Lovestruck Sammi posted a string of photos of them both on social media and gushed: ‘This girl is no longer single.’

But her world came crashing down when a message from Mr McAuley’s fiancée appeared among the hundreds of comments congratulating her. 

‘I was humiliated and heartbroken,’ she told the Daily Mail. ‘I genuinely had no idea and now people are saying I’m a homewrecker.

‘Yes I was caught up in a beautiful holiday romance, the kind you see on movies, but I’m not an idiot.

‘I asked the right questions, I met his mum, I spoke to his sister, I looked out for all the signs.’

Sammi had previously sworn off men after a run of bad dates but booked the holiday with her son Jett, 18, to celebrate his girlfriend’s birthday with her family.

‘I almost cancelled the whole thing,’ she said. ‘A few months before, I’d decided to put myself out there to meet someone.

‘I even started to share my journey on TikTok to keep myself accountable and encourage other women to do the same but most of my dates had been awful.

‘I did meet one lovely guy in April and we were planning to see each other again, then suddenly he stopped messaging and I found out on Facebook he’d died.

‘After that I just said, that’s it, I’m not doing this anymore and needed a break.’

But on the second day of the luxury trip Sammi had a change of heart.

‘I was all dressed in my Carla Zampatti gown for an elegant evening, had done my psychic reading and was like, “Girl, this is it”,’ she said.

‘I went to the nightclub by myself and that’s when I saw “Mr UK” and I was like, “who the heck is that”. 

‘He was 6’1 [185cm] and so handsome. We chatted, he was funny, he had banter, we danced, and oh boy, could he dance and that British accent. He took my breath away.’

The night ended with a kiss and the pair quickly became inseparable.

‘He merged with my big family, I merged with his big family and the funniest thing is people actually thought we had been married for years,’ she said.

‘We just clicked, like really clicked, and it changed my world.’

During the trip, Sammi decided to continue posting TikToks about her dating experience. 

She poured her heart out as thousands of people started to follow along for the next instalment.

‘I was having the best time, but I was being realistic because I knew this man lived on the other side of the world,’ she said.

‘As I was posting about him I could see some comments saying he was love bombing me and that he probably had a wife at home.

‘But one of the first things I asked him was if he was married, if he was single – and he said he was.

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‘Plus I had met his mum too and she was just so lovely to me, I knew there couldn’t be anything to worry about.

‘It wasn’t just that either, he wasn’t secretive with his phone, he used my charger and didn’t try to hide it or go off to take calls.

‘I was looking for signs because I had been cheated on before and that’s one of the reasons I stayed single for so long because I just didn’t trust anyone… but Liam was different.’

After the trip ended and Mr McAuley headed to the airport to fly home, Sammi realised she was falling in love.

‘I thought I would be ok but I wasn’t, I cried and cried. We spent 18 hours together every day for nine days so it’s kind of like dating someone for six months,’ she said. 

‘We promised to meet in Italy for the next school holidays and I was excited about that but as I was driving home, he messaged me to come back to the airport because he had extended his stay by another week.

‘And that was it, I was no longer single and falling in love. Of course, I had to fall in love with a guy who lives in the UK but I had never met anyone like him, he was witty, flirtatious and so unbelievably kind.

‘We discussed long distance and relationship visas and even money. 

‘We had hard conversations and I told him if it worked out, he’d never get my house because it was for Jett and he agreed and said he would sign anything.’

Then last week, on the day McAuley was due to leave, Sammi woke up to frantic messages from a friend telling her to check her TikTok.

‘My videos had blown up and there were hundreds of comments from people saying that Liam was in an eight-year relationship with his fiancée back in the UK,’ she said.

Sammi said while she didn’t want to believe what she was reading, his long-term fiancée was among those who had commented. 

‘Hi, I am Liam, AKA Mr UK’s fiancée of eight years. I’m not one to publicly post, but I’ve been left no choice, happy for you to message me,’ it read.

Sammi immediately confronted him: ‘I woke Liam up and at first he denied it but then he told me it was true but complicated. I told him to pack his things and go.

‘He was already leaving that day anyway so I drove him to the train station in silence. He kissed me and said, “I have never loved anyone as much as I loved you” and he left.

‘My heart wanted it to work but my brain knew it couldn’t.

‘He is gone now and I have been humiliated online and people think I knew – or at least feel I should have seen the warning signs, but there weren’t any. 

‘I feel awful for his partner. No one deserved that.’

Mr McAuley, now back in the UK, told the Daily Mail he had handled the situation badly but he still believes they can make it work.

‘Sammi knows how sorry I am for how it all ended and we both know what we feel is real,’ he said. 

‘It will take some work to get back to where we were.

‘I’m also sorry for hurting [my fiancée], even if in my head it had been over for a while but the way I have been portrayed by her family and friends is downright vindictive.

‘Sammi changed my view on what happiness can be like and I have to live with the fact I ruined it.

‘I’m not sure what the future holds but I’m along for the ride.’