San Mateo County firefighters and California Highway Patrol personnel investigate the scene of a limousine fire on the westbound side of the San Mateo-Hayward Bridge in Foster City, Calif., on Saturday, May 4, 2013. (AP Photo/Oakland Tribune-Bay Area News Group, Jane Tyska) (AP2013)
What was supposed to be a night of celebration turned into a mysterious tragedy.
Monday morning investigators were still trying to determine why a stretch limousine burst into flames on a San Francisco Bay bridge, trapping and killing five of the nine women inside, including a newlywed bride, as they were en-route to celebrate her recent nuptials.
It happened late Saturday night as the Lincoln Town Car crossed the San Mateo-Hayward Bridge on the south end of the bay.
One of the women complained to driver Orville Brown about smoke, and by the time he pulled over and got out, the back of the limo was engulfed. The bride and eight friends were still inside, but other motorists quickly pulled three to safety, though two were in critical condition Monday. One woman managed to squeeze through the partition between the passenger section and the driver's compartment, Brown told authorities.
But five others, including the bride whose marriage they were celebrating, became trapped.
The five were found dead as firefighters doused the vehicle — all huddled near the partition, apparently unable to squeeze through.
"My guess would be they were trying to get away from the fire and use that window opening as an escape route," said San Mateo County Coroner Robert Foucrault, who also relayed some of the comments the driver made to investigators.
The California Highway Patrol scheduled a news conference with fire officials for 10 a.m. Monday. The San Mateo Fire Department was looking into the cause of the fire, while the coroner's office was working with the California Highway Patrol to determine if anything criminal occurred.
"We don't believe there" was, Foucrault said.
Relatives told the San Francisco Chronicle and the San Jose Mercury News that one of the dead was Neriza Fojas, 31, a registered nurse from Fresno who recently wed and was planning to travel to her native Philippines to hold another ceremony before family. Her friends in the limousine were fellow nurses.
Brown, 46, of San Jose, told investigators he picked the women up in Oakland and was taking them across the bridge to the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Foster City. Fojas' sister, Rosalyn Bersamin, told the Chronicle that after a night out on the town, Fojas and her friends were heading to the hotel to party with her new husband.
"She was a hard worker, a loving sister," a sobbing Bersamin said.
Aerial video shot after the fire showed about one-third of the back half of the limousine had been scorched. Its taillights and bumper were gone and it appeared to be resting on its rims, but the remainder of the vehicle didn't appear to be damaged.
A photo taken by a witness and broadcast on KTVU-TV showed flames shooting from the back of the limo.
Brown's brother told the Chronicle the flames spread before he could help all the women escape.
"He told me, 'Man, it was so fast.' He said, 'I've never seen anything like it in my life.'"
"He kept saying, 'I should have done more, I should have done more," he added.
The brother said that Brown is an experienced commercial driver who has operated big rigs and moving trucks and has a clean record.
Medical examiners will identify the victims by using dental records. Foucrault said the autopsies will include toxicology tests, as well as examinations into whether any accelerant such as alcohol or gasoline was found on the bodies.
The CHP said the four other women who escaped the fire were being treated at nearby hospitals for burns and smoke inhalation: Mary G. Guardiano, 42, of Alameda; Jasmine Desguia, 34, of San Jose; Nelia Arrellano, 36, of Oakland; and Amalia Loyola, 48, of San Leandro.
Desguia and Loyola were listed in critical condition, said Joy Alexiou, a spokeswoman for Valley Medical Center. The condition of Arrellano, who was taken to another hospital, was not known.
A spokeswoman for Community Medical Center in Fresno said one or more of its employees were in the limo.
The company that operated the limo was identified as Limo Stop, which offers service through limousines, vans and SUVS.
The company issued a statement saying it "will do everything possible to investigate and assist authorities in determining the cause of this fire in order to bring forth answers and provide closure to (the) victims and their families."
According to records from the California Public Utilities Commission, which regulates limousine companies, Limo Stop is licensed and insured.
Based on reporting by The Associated Press.
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