The Antelope Valley Times

Your community. Your issues. Your news.

Suspected street racing leaves father, daughter dead in Palmdale

by •

PALMDALE – The driver of a Chevrolet Camaro and his teenage daughter were killed Sunday evening when their sports car crashed into a traffic signal pole in Palmdale during an apparent street race, authorities said.

Manuel Paniagua, 54, and Vanessa Paniagua, 17, both of Palmdale, died at the scene of the crash, the coroner’s office reported.

[LUIS MEZA]
The fatal collision happened around 6:21 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 12, on 25th Street East near Joshua Hills Drive, according to a news release from the Palmdale Sheriff’s Station.

“The preliminary facts of this investigation indicate a male… was driving a 2014 Chevy Camaro with a female as a passenger. The vehicle was traveling southbound on 25th Street East at a high rate of speed.  For unknown reasons, the male driver lost control of the vehicle and collided with a traffic signal, shearing the vehicle in half,” the news release states.

Witnesses told officials the crash happened during an apparent street race.

[LUIS MEZA]
“Two cars were speeding, likely racing, when one (driver) lost control and (the car) collided with a traffic signal,”  Sgt. Oscar Martinez of the Sheriff’s Palmdale Station told City News Service. “The vehicle pretty much disintegrated.”

The other driver sped away, witnesses said. The investigation is ongoing.

Anyone with information on this crash is encouraged to call the Palmdale Sheriff’s Station at 661-272-2400 and ask for the traffic investigation office.

Manuel and Vanessa Paniagua [Image via gofundme.]

106 comments for "Suspected street racing leaves father, daughter dead in Palmdale"

  1. I was a wannabe streetracer back during the days when the first Fast and The Furious movie came out. I took a 1997 Ford Aspire and modified it with a short ram intake, advanced the ignition timing, had a fat can exhaust on the back, put some 13″American Racing wheels on it, done a interior paint job, had vehicle lettering graphics on the body and windshield. The car only had a top speed of 105 and was a 4 cylinder with a 16 vale dual overhead cam fuel injected engine. With modifications and advanced ignition timing, i got it up from 64hp stock to 80hp. I couldn’t get it past 102 due to the rev limiter. It wasn’t a FAST car, but it had great green light takeoff!

  2. We know and Love Dora and Manny, we don’t know these strangers or witness, how dare they say HE DECIDED nobody knows what was in Manny’s Mind except the Mind of God. Manny was a Good Man. He helped people . He helped My son. And many more that I knew of. Manny had to have a damn good reason for doing whatever WE THINK he did? Sounds to me he was running for their lives and trying to save his daughter

  5. To “All” family members who lost their loved ones on that tragic day. This is truly a very sad time. My prayers are with you All during this difficult time. I live around the corner from the accident. I am your Black sister in Christ! We all bleed the same. My deepest condolences to the family

  6. People REALLY need to think before they post such hurtful things. Have some compassion and think about this teen girl’s MOTHER. I can’t even comprehend what she must feel and how much her life changed that fateful day…..my son went to school with the girl who passed and having a child the same age as Vanessa REALLY makes me feel for her Mom. She lost her baby girl and her life partner. Put yourself in HER shoes before you think about posting nonsense. RIP father and daughter…..

  7. Two lives were taken and not a single person commenting knows what took place minutes before the tragic accident. At this point, it does not matter how things evolved, it is too late. Let the family mourn in piece and keep your accusations, opinions and observations in check, this heart-breaking episode could have happened to someone close to you. May they both rest in peace and I truly hope the family finds closure soon enough.

  8. All of you people need to grow up…never wish death upon no one. He hot what he deserved? What type of [removed] is that. Shut the [removed] up. To daggy in sorry bro. If you guys need anything bro the family is here. Much love and may they rest with the angels.

  9. I live in the area and I hear loud racing cars often. You play, you pay.
    That’s all I have to say about that.
    RIP Manuel Paniagua and Vanessa Paniagua.

  10. Hispanic fathers are very strict. maybe he was giving her a talk about her having a boyfriend.
    Then he tried to scare her by driving fast, and the accident happened on accident??.

    • Ha ha ha that’s such a stereotype
      My father is Hispanic and he wasn’t strict. Was he feared of course.

      Men that are “strict” are usually insecure and controlling. And if this is what he did to sleep he’s a daughter away from boys well he surely did succeed

    • I think it’s pretty ignorant how you Hispanic people make excuses for your kind the guy was an idiot for driving that fast and killing his daughter so quit making excuses a very immature adult

        • Hispanics are good at making excuses.. For others they they made excuses for the Latin grill that was 26 and killed her friends and left they made excuses for her both of the accident in Palmdale street racing and you are Latin so quit giving excuses for each other and grow up better off why don’t you leave the AV

          • I agree the Latin people here are a drive like a bunch of maniacs go to the swap meet I’m Blossom Highway an 47th. They sending the swapmeet drinking all day poem for your car is when it says no left turn you guys are a bunch of idiots I hope me Trump Deport everyone of you you people are a disgrace

          • Why make it about racism, “you hispanics” wtf is that ? We’re not all the same . So how about You racists cach me outside how bout dat.

        • Why be racist about it? “you latin people drive like a bunch of maniacs” wtf is that ? Why pin the blame on ALL latinos? Why are you against latino people? We’re not all the same . Its 2017 for heavens sake . Spread love not your hatred. how about You racists cach me outside how bout dat.

        • Wow. Seriously this is a post about two lives lost and you have to call people white trash ? You all think it’s ok if your racist but God forbid someone calls you a W#tback. Your panties would be in a bunch. I’m so sick of you idiots thinking it’s ok for you to be racist or proud of being brown/black but if we’re proud to be white you all want to cry the race card.
          . The fact that car was going so FAST that the car split in half shows the father was going at an extremely high rate of speed. Thank God he didn’t wipe out many other families.

      • Who’s to say it was him maybe his teenage daughter was like come on dad and him probably in a midlife crisis listened so he could b “cool” u never know there is always 2 sides to the story obviously never gonna find out the truth

        • Are you serious ? His daughter was a child . So if a child says come on mom let’s snort a line and the mom does and it kills both then it wouldn’t be the moms failt????? Hell yes this is the dad’s fault. 6:30 in the evening. He could’ve killed your spouse,parent or child . He is nothing more than an [removed]. He KILLED his daughter!!

  11. Really Dean…let’s put the responsibility where it lies! This irresponsible father putting his daughter in harms way because he let his testosterone drive the damn car! God bless his family as they try to forgive him and make some kind of sense why he would do such a thing!

    • Exactly . There could’ve been so many other lives that he took driving like that on a public street.. . Would you be sticking up for him driving like a complete idiot if he hit and killed their loved one that
      We need to be thankful there weren’t more lives taken.

  12. Unfortunately, this particular driver and this yellow Camaro were well known by most people living in the area as a car that raced through the streets making burnouts.

    • I live on the same street as this family and noticed this particular car out and about numerous times. It was a Z model Camero with a loud exhaust no way you could miss this car. With that being said, I never once saw it doing burnouts or aggressively being driven or racing or anything that like that what so ever. Horrible situation prayers to the family

    • I’ve heard from multiple people the same exact thing. He is known to be speeding all over this entire area . Thinking about how many other lives he could’ve taken that day is sickening . The people sticking up for him saying “there must have been a reason he waz dtivibg fast” are complete fools. There was NO reason for him to be driving at that extreme high rate of speed. He could’ve killed anyone we knew. Such a shame that beautiful young lady lost her life because dad was driving like an idiot.
      My heart goes out to her mother. So very sad.

  13. My condolences to the family I am truly sorry for your lost my God bless you all. People please this is not the time for all your negative comments I to have lost a child in a car accident and it is not easy to deal with so please stop and with all the negative comments and let’s pray for this family.

    • Amen!!! God bless the family and they’re lost one’s, may god have them in his glory and help them rest in peace ..

  14. My most sincerest condolences to the family on this double loss! May God bestow lots of strength and love to the family. R.I.P. to this father and his daughter.

  15. Any word on what thee other vehicle looked like? I ask because at 2AM, just a few hours after that, I was driving home from work on Avenue L and a silver BMW (2000-ish, lowered, obvious body damage, torn rear bumper cover) with a very loud exhaust was very aggressively trying to get me to race him. Pacing me, goosing it, etc. I’m not interested and gave a little hand wave to wave him off and kept my cruise on 50. He persisted for nearly 3 miles before breaking off south at 47th W and L. I arrived home shortly after and could hear his exhaust in the still night. I heard a second, different exhaust pair up with him a few minutes later. This guy was out trolling for a race and way over aggressive. I own race cars and muscle cars, I know the temptation. He was being obnoxious.

    • I seen a bmw ike that today. Very loud driving like a idiot. No front bumper. Over on valley central way

  16. Funny how many people read a news article and run with it calling the guy irresponsible and basically saying good riddance.

    If you look, another article about the same crash says it was a suspected car to car shooting. Kind of changes perspective. Maybe instead of passing judgement for a situation you did not witness, offer condolences to the family who has suffered a tragedy, no matter what the cause was.

    You can still make your comments about street racing “what a tragedy, hope it wasn’t a result of street racing which unfortunately is a problem in the AV. If it was a result of racing hopefully someone else can learn from this.”

    Maybe the guy had a heart attack and pegged the gas, maybe the floor mats wedged the pedals, maybe he was showing off to bond with his daughter. No matter what the cause, it’s a tragedy a little girl lost her life before she had a chance to live it.

    I’m glad the father died too, the torture of life after the loss of a child is bad enough, if you feel you could have prevented it but failed (or worst contributed to it or caused it) would be unbearable.

    • I agree there r so many situations that could have took place no one knows but is quick to judge. R.I.P to them both and prayers to the family

  17. Dean is quite right. Furthermore, conceived for intricate, lightweight vehicle applications, disc brakes were never intended for oversized diameter wheel applications; much less for overweight vehicles. Corporate irresponsibility, any application exceeding a 16″ wheel diameter, disc brakes are inefficient; drum brakes are optimal. Had that Camaro had 15″ diameter wheels, that gentleman would have had a decent chance woeing down and correcting that vehicle.

    • … yes-sir-ee, classic unibody-subframe chassis separation. Very messy. Not a full monocoque, Camaro-Challenger-Mustang archetypes are cruisers. They were never conceived for high speed driving. Very crude in its architecture, just two iterations evolved beyond a horse drawn carriage, the front suspension and engine assembly slides into the uni-body, just a few fasteners holding the thing together. Upon impact, just like a horse drawn carriage, the front clip separates, engine assembly goes one way, the rest of the car the other, leaving occupants one fail-safe, the front firewall. Crumple zone on a unibody-subframe vehicle is only viable to 40 MPH. Once the front clip ejects, there is no crumple zone. Stick really big wheels on them, KA-BLAM. Exacerbating the dilemma, outboard fuel cells indicative of the Camaro-Challenger-Mustang platform, rear impact, the gosh darn thing explodes. People buying them don’t know beans about cars. Mmm-Hmm.

    • So NASCAR with large diameter tires on 15 wheels and discs all around on a lightened frame works.
      But a lightened (for a passenger car) large diameter wheel with slim tires on all discs is bad.
      And my 78 Chevy P/U has discs up front and drums in back. After years of hauling loads, often while hauling (speed) my truck has a forward lean due to compressed springs from the front discs taking the load forward during fast stops.
      I think it has a lot to do with driver’s skill and experience as well as road temps, road surface and condition, and those pesky engineering traits.

  18. … engineering standpoint, GM’s retrograde Camaro is a fundamentally defective vehicle. Given a clean sheet of paper, no engineer worth his salt would ever design a vehicle like that. Nature of the thing with oversized wheels, a 22″ diameter wheel cannot be sufficiently controlled, with a 14″ steering wheel. Once oversized wheels break loose, the vehicle is impossible to correct –

    • It was a ZL1 camaro… Just look at ZL1 track times. They are competitive with Ferraris. This was not the cars fault…

  19. Someone lost their daughter, sister, father, husband, and many lost a friend. Your negative comments were not asked for. I hope you never have to experience such a loss. May God bring strength and peace to this family during this time. My deepest condolences to the Paniagua Family

  20. My condolences to your family. Sending prayers your way. And for all those who made the negative remarks, who gave you the right to judge? ONLY GOD HAS THE RIGHT TO JUDGE.

    • Just to be clear any one can make a judgment call on the mortal plane. Only God has the right to final judgement of ones actions.
      It is often best to avoid commenting to the lowest common denominators and instead just forgive them.

  21. Regardless of how it happened, a son has to come home to very his father and only sister. To the family, may God help guide you during this difficult time. To Chevrolet, let this be a reminder that as you build cars made from cheap products, yet designed to imitate others to mistake it for a “race car”, I pray none of your families have to go through this. And to the jerk that is getting his kicks with name calling and hateful remarks, I will also pray for your mother for having raised a “boy” with no heart. I’m sure you have treated her just as hurtfully as you are treating this family.

  22. Can someone please tell me if this happened on Pearblossom?? I was driving on Pearblossom around that time and a yellow camero and another car passed me going pretty fast. I was driving around 60. They had to be going over 80. It looked like to me that they were racing. I don’t remember what the other car was but I do remember a yellow camero. The other car was a light color maybe silver? Not sure if this was the same car or not. I was dropping off a friend who lives in juniper hills.

    • This happened on 25th Street East, just north of pearblossom. If you think you saw the car call the sheriff station.

  23. First and foremost condolences to this Familia that not only lost a daughter, sister, and cousin but their husband, father, brother,Tio and Primo also! Let’s wait until we have witnesses that say it was a street race for SURE that took their lives…. I had heard earlier it was someone chasing and shooting at them. That is kinda a strange street to race on, going south on 25th east as stated to ave S is not a straightaway. Anything is possible as none of us were there to know what really happened! You should keep your “he killed his daughter” to yourselves until such a time that a witness comes foreword and confirms it was a reckless act OF Racing. Since the car was a muscle car and a 2014 I’m wondering how long he had the car and if he ever raced it before? Anyway I will wait for further details before condemning this man!

    • Hey plamdale chick that camaro is not a muscle car its new plastic car try some thing in 60 s or 70 s

  24. Amazing how many perfect people there are on these posts. First of all none of us were there, we don’t know the whole story. Nowadays the first thing we want to say when an accident that involves speed happens is they were street racing. Bottom line is I’m sure the driver did not intend to put his daughter in harms way. Just ask God to be with the family, and as Jesus said to the people who were ready to stone the prostitute, let anyone who has never sinned cast the first stone. I’m older than the driver of this car, and I’ve “street raced” all my life. Stop being judgemental no matter what happened.

  25. Manny was a great friend and co worker, he will be truly missed by all those who knew him. May God watch over your family and someday bring His Peace to Dora and his children. My thoughts and prayers are with you now my friend.

  26. There is only one thing to gather from the photo of the car, the driver had to have been speeding at a very high speed, probably 80-100 MPH to cause that massive damage….It doesn’t matter who the man was or what type of father he was, there was no excuse for that manner of reckless driving..

  27. All these car racers in the valley need to see first hand in a crash and see the bodies , car manufactures need to cap horse power too 375 ,its tomch for theses cars its insane you kids can’t drive them older people are dumb if u live from a wreak from racing loose ur lic . for life !!!!!!

  28. Let’s just really think about this 54 yr old man with his 17 yr old daughter street racing…um no maybe going fast but not street racing!! Also y did whomever he was racing flee the scene!!! Um no something is fishy about this!!! Hopefully the people who fled the scene and really know what happen comes forward or maybe a witness…but of course they won’t because now u will be charged with vehicular manslaughter, so hopefully there was another witness!! So sad, deepest condolences to the family…

    • I agree!! What if the other car was chasing them!??? What if he had an emergency and he was rushing to get there!??

      • Well it looks like no excuse for speeding or racing or anything like that is worth it!
        Better late than never!

    • Street racers never stick around, if you do, you get your car taken away forever. Maybe he or she called in the accident no one knows. As for the person thinking he was in a hurry due too an accident, I really doubt it. People love speed, its thrilling and a risk you know and take. Everyone breaks a rule or law more than once, everyone with common sense has a good idea what caused this so I say leave it at that. It just shows 18 or 54 well always love our fast cars and take them to the limit at times. I say bring back another LACR. It wont stop street racing but allow most an opportunity to blow a motor on a safer terrain, these cars are not made too handle dips and pot holes over 85 mph, and our streets suck and are dangerous even going 55.

  30. I am so sorry for your loss and let’s not add to the family’s pain by criticizing when no one knows for sure what happened. We all make mistakes and thank God we lived to learn from them. God bless you and you’re family ❤As Jesus said let the first who is without sin throw stones.

  31. That poor sweet girl, smh. Absolutely senseless. Dad knew better, yet gambled with the life of his precious girl anyways. I hope this will shake those that need to be shook. That picture should be placed on billboards throughout the valley.

    .

  32. It’s a shame an adult that old street racing with no respect for his daughter in the car disgusting

  33. No family deserves, at least the moron did not kill anyone else, just murdered his daughter, there is a special place for him.

  34. People be real here stop the negative thig s you punk remember it could of been one of your family member driving jaunt as crazy. So stop the stupidy and pray for God to comfort this fmaily. Either if he was racing with and yes should of not been doing that with his daugther in the car. It is so sad how people so easy to judge. You are not the one to be judging.

  35. Prayers for the family! And yes i agree this is an open forum and everyone has the right to post whatever they feel.But have a decency and heart for this tragic accident. Put yourself into the families shoes and see all this negative and unhearted comment, she how you will feel or react.
    People have some respect and pray for the farher and daughter that their soul may rest in peace and for the family to have comfort on this difficult situation.

  36. I guess he was trying to be a COOL DAD, going 100 MPH in an illegal street race. So sad No Bueno.
    Saw her photos on Facebook what a Beautiful young lady she was.

  37. I knew his son very well and his family. No way he was street racing. Driveing fast and over the speed limit, yes very possible. But word is someone ran him off the road. So if anyone hears anything please speak up. Thank you.

  38. I knew Manny for along time he was a good man and this is not at all in his nature no one knows the details so let them Rest In Peace my prayers are with the Paniagua clan Love and Respect!

  39. He is at fault if he was one of the racer’s, he engaged in an illegal street racing. He paid the price and took his daughter you cannot blame the other driver. I’m sorry but as grown man make better choices.

  40. Really go fund me page Otis inmate dies everybody supposed to does dish out how about the family takes care of the responsibilities of the people that drove Reckless

  41. The question is: WHAT CAUSED THIS TO HAPPEN??? Did the other car force them off the road? We need to find out the trutb!!! FIND THE OTHER DRIVER!

  42. I have a Camreo people always trying to race me I’m not having it r.i.p to the guy and his daughter very sad..

  43. Why was he even racing to begin with Especially with his daughter in the car!!! Its so annoying all these stupid punks who race and put other innocent lives at risk

  44. Shame on you who have your negative comments. Let the family mourn without your bad talk. You did not know this person as the family knew him so your comments should be kept to yourself.

    • When he got behind the wheel and was racing down the street with his daughter in the car and not only put himself and his daughter in danger but everyone that was on the road with him that night thats what was ridiculous.

    • This is a public forum. We are allowed to post our comments. If you don’t like it you know where you can go.

  45. Prayers for the family. I hope many people learn from this bad decision. I am sure the driver would want this to be a warning to others. So sorry for all involved. May God watch over everyone, so many are losing their lives in the AV lately.

  46. Street racing is never a good idea and alot of these accidents didn’t happen as much when LACR was here. But, to make negative remarks accidents and saying somebody deserves death is wrong on every level. His daughter nor Him deserved ANY of this. His family is mourning the death of a daughter, cousin, Sister, friend etc. And the death of a husband, brother, son, father, uncle, friend etc. The family doesn’t need to see your negative remarks they are going through enough I’m sure. My condolences goes out to the Paniagua Family and friends. May the Lord watch over you during this hard time.

    • I would like to say from the bottom of my heart my family appreciates this. Im overseas and headed home. Worst news while deployed

      • Prayers to your Family and Friends during this difficult time. May your Family find comfort and peace as you make arrangements so they may be laid to rest. Thank you for your Service!

    • please reserve those comments Manny was the rock of his family and very loved and respected . Let the family mourn In peace

      • My condolences to the family but it’s hard to feel sympathy towards a person who had no regard towards his daughter’s life and possibly the lives of many other innocent people just to feed his personal ego.

      • I feel very sad for the loss to this family. So tragic. All anyone should feel is sadness and compassion for this tragedy. No need for you judgement, that’s not for anyone. My heart goes out to those in pain.

    • Please do not say such things he made a mistake! He was a great man a great father and a great Tio to me! So keep you damn comments to yourself!

    • You should keep your negative comments to yourself hope you never have to suffer a tragedy. And remember karma is a b****

  50. This is so preventable and tragic. Street racing is never a good idea. I hope someone will learn from this and cut it out.