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New Year’s day crash claims life of two Turlock residents
Leilani Romayor-Bettencourt
Leilani Romayor-Bettencourt, 23, of Turlock was one of two local residents killed in a New Year’s Day crash. She leaves behind two small children. Her sister started a GoFundMe page to help pay for expenses. It can be found at: https://www.gofundme.com/f/leilani-romayor

Two Turlock residents were killed early Monday morning near Turlock Lake State Recreation Area when the car they were riding in overturned and they were ejected from it, the California Highway Patrol reported.

The deceased were identified as Leilani Romayor-Bettencourt, 23, and Danny Reyes, 28, both of Turlock.

The driver of the vehicle, Issac Urbeana, 23, of La Grange was arrested following the fatal collision.

An additional passenger, Amber Sauls, 21, of Oakdale sustained major injuries in the collision.

All four were in a 2017 Toyota sedan that was headed westbound on Lake Road at 3:42 a.m. Monday. Just east of Roberts Ferry Road, Urbeana was unable to navigate a right bend in the road, sending the Toyota off the south edge of the road and overturning, said CHP spokesman Officer Tom Olsen.

Romayor-Bettencourt and Reyes were both sitting in the back seat and neither of them were wearing seat belts, Olsen said. When the sedan overturned they were both ejected. Both of them were pronounced deceased at the scene.

Sauls, the right front passenger of the Toyota, was taken by ground ambulance to Doctors Medical Center with major injuries.

Urbeana was contacted by officers on scene and was determined to be under the influence of alcohol. He was placed under arrest by the CHP for felony DUI and felony gross vehicular manslaughter. He had sustained minor injuries, according to the CHP.

Both Sauls and Urbeana were wearing their seat belts.

“DUI crashes are 100% preventable. Also, seat belts, when worn properly, have the ability to save your life when involved in a traffic collision,” Olsen said.

Romayor-Bettencourt’s sister has started a GoFundMe account. According to the page, Romayor-Bettencourt was the mother of two — 4-year-old daughter, Labella, and 1-year-old son, Stephen.

“Her birthday was coming up on January 12th. She was an amazing mother and cared for everyone. Her beautiful soul will live on through us and her children,” wrote Arcelia Loza about her sister.

The GoFundMe page can be found at: https://www.gofundme.com/f/leilani-romayor