Police are investigating a car accident in Columbia, South Carolina, that took the lives of all four people in the vehicle on Jan. 18. The fatal accident took place just hours after the group was celebrating one of the passenger's 23rd birthday. It is not yet known whether alcohol was a factor, though excessive speed is a factor.

According to news reports, a car carrying four young adults lost control around 5 a.m. and crashed into a building. The impact caused the car to burst into flames.

Inside the vehicle were a 23-year-old woman, a 24-year-old man, a 22-year-old man and a woman who had turned 24 on Jan. 17. All four were fatally injured by the impact. Autopsies revealed that the four died before the car caught fire.

Columbia police said that there was evidence the car was driving above the posted speed limit just before the accident, but investigators were unsure what caused the car to lose control.

The woman whose birthday the group had been celebrating was originally from Wisconsin and worked at a restaurant near the University of South Carolina. Her manager recalled her as outgoing and playful. She was known for wearing unusual outfits and cheering on her Wisconsin sports teams.

The day after the collision, a group of the victims' friends created a memorial at the accident site. They placed flowers and written messages dedicated to the four deceased young people. More friends posted messages on the 24-year-old woman's Facebook page to mourn the loss.

Source: Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, "Delafield woman, AHS grad killed in SC car crash," Joe Trovato, Jan. 25, 2012