Loved ones remember Clovis High student killed in high-speed crash

CLOVIS, Calif. (KFSN) -- Alex Ounmano loved working on his car and hanging out with friends. His cousin, Jayvin Saivong says the two were inseparable.

California Highway Patrol officers say the 17-year-old Ounmano was killed during a street race on Highway 168 in the Fresno County foothills near Tollhouse on Wednesday.

RELATED: 17-year-old Clovis boy identified as driver killed in Highway 168 crash near Tollhouse

CHP officers say Alex and his girlfriend, Anissa Patindol, went to the snow above Shaver Lake Wednesday. On the way home, they say Alex raced two other cars down the four-lane.

"Definitely a very high rate of speed and a violent collision into the mountainside," said Mike Salas with the CHP.

Alex died at the scene. Anissa is in the hospital and is expected to survive.

At Clovis High, where Alex was a junior, school officials decided it was best to use a video to notify the student body about the tragedy.

"We are going to be recording a video message from one of our school psychologist that will be delivered to students, so they see that that empathetic face and they feel the compassion," said Kelly Avants with Clovis Unified.

Witnesses at the scene ran up to try to save Alex, but his injuries were too severe.

Investigators say both he and his passenger were wearing their seatbelts, but were ejected out the rear window and landed more than 100 feet away.

Even though Alex only attended Clovis High this school year, some of his classmates said they remembered him by his shiny red car that was his prized possession.