Five people have been arrested in connection with a devastating hit-and-run crash in Victorville, California, that killed two teenage girls who were described by their families as inseparable best friends.
The fatal collision happened on August 14, 2026, in a residential area of Victorville, according to the California Highway Patrol. Investigators say two vehicles were traveling at extremely high speeds before colliding with the car carrying the two teenagers.
The drivers of the two vehicles have been identified as George Gary Sanchez, 49, and Terry Lamar Easter, 50. Authorities allege that Sanchez was driving a Dodge Charger while Easter was behind the wheel of a Chevrolet Camaro that fled the scene following the crash.
Sanchez was arrested shortly after the collision. Easter remained sought for nearly two weeks as investigators conducted a multi-day search for him. He eventually surrendered to authorities on August 26, according to the California Highway Patrol.
The two teenagers killed in the crash were identified by their families as 17-year-old Maddalyn Dailey and 16-year-old Isabell DeLang. Authorities had not publicly released the girls’ names in the initial information, but their families later confirmed their identities through fundraising campaigns and media interviews.
The loss has devastated both families, who said the girls had been extremely close for years. Maddalyn’s father, Dustin Dailey, told KTLA that his daughter and Isabell had been inseparable and had been friends since elementary school. Both were students at Sultana High School.
According to Dailey, Maddalyn was driving Isabell home on the night of the crash. She had reportedly planned to return home afterward for dinner with her family, making the tragedy all the more difficult for her loved ones.
Dailey said he immediately understood that something was terribly wrong when he heard the impact. He later expressed the depth of his grief, saying he would do anything to have his daughter back.
The families have described both girls as teenagers with their futures ahead of them. Their respective GoFundMe campaigns emphasize that they had so much life still to live, underscoring the suddenness of the tragedy and the impact their deaths have had on those closest to them.
As the investigation continued, California Highway Patrol officers also arrested three additional people who were accused of acting as accessories in connection with the case. They were identified as 45-year-old Ryan James Lewis of Victorville, 49-year-old Lukevy Shawntell Yates of Apple Valley, and 74-year-old Madge Wells of Apple Valley.
According to CHP, all three individuals cooperated with investigators and were later released. Their arrests indicate that investigators were examining not only the crash itself but also what happened afterward and whether anyone assisted those allegedly responsible.
Sanchez, who is from Riverside, and Easter, who is from Apple Valley, were booked into the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department on suspicion of murder and gross vehicular manslaughter with negligence, according to authorities.
The charges reflect the seriousness with which investigators are treating the crash and the deaths of the two teenagers. However, the allegations have not been proven in court, and both suspects remain entitled to the presumption of innocence unless they are convicted.
The CHP has not indicated that the crash was a random collision. Investigators allege that the two vehicles were traveling at extremely high speeds through a residential neighborhood before the deadly impact, raising significant questions about the decisions made by the drivers in the moments before the crash.
The case has also highlighted the consequences that can follow when a driver leaves the scene of a fatal collision. Easter’s alleged flight from the crash site resulted in a prolonged search before he eventually turned himself in.
CHP Chief Tariq Johnson said the arrests reflected the agency’s commitment to pursuing justice for the victims and their families. He acknowledged that no arrest can undo the loss of two young lives but expressed hope that the developments would provide some measure of comfort to their loved ones.
The investigation remains active, and authorities may continue gathering evidence, reviewing witness accounts, and determining the full circumstances surrounding the collision. It is also unclear whether additional charges could be filed as prosecutors review the case.
For the families of Maddalyn Dailey and Isabell DeLang, however, the legal proceedings cannot erase the loss of two teenagers who had grown up together and were approaching important milestones in their lives.
Their deaths have left friends, classmates, relatives, and members of the Victorville community mourning the loss of two young women whose friendship was described as exceptionally strong.
As the case moves forward, attention will remain on the evidence supporting the allegations against the two drivers and on the role allegedly played by the three people accused of being accessories.
The arrests represent a major development in the investigation, but for the families, the central reality remains unchanged: two teenage best friends are gone, and their loved ones are left to carry the grief of losing them in a crash that investigators say could have been prevented.
