Military officials have released the identities of the three Camp Pendleton Marines killed early Tuesday morning when their Dodge Stratus crashed into a tree in Dana Point. They are Sgt. Jeremiah Callahan, 23; Cpl. Jason Chleborad, 22; and Cpl. Christopher Arzola, 21.
The driver of the Dodge survived the crash and is in extremely critical condition at Mission Hospital in Mission Viejo. His name has not been released. The Orange County Sheriff's Department says alcohol and speed were the main factors in the fatal crash.
Sgt. Chleborad was from Rapid City, South Dakota. His parents, Brian and Amy Chleborad, spoke with the Rapid City Journal about their son. Jason, who was a strapping 6'8" tall, surprised his family with a visit this past Christmas. Brian Chleborad said of losing his son:
Sgt. Jeremiah Callahan, known as J.C., was a 2007 graduate of Chadron Senior High School in Chadron, Nebraska. On his Facebook page, Sgt. Callahan wrote the following quote:
