Two Tongan royals die in U.S. car crash-reports

SAN FRANCISCO, July 7 (Reuters) Two members of the royal family of Tonga died in a car accident near San Francisco, according to media reports.

Prince Tui Pele Haka and wife Princess Kaimana of the Pacific island nation were killed in the accident on Highway 101 in Menlo Park, California just before 9 pm on Wednesday, local media reported yesterday.

The San Mateo County Coroner's office reported the driver in their car, Vinisia Hefa, also died in the accident. The office declined to confirm the identities of the prince and princess, referring questions to the Tongan consulate in San Francisco. Officials there were unavailable for comment.

The car in which the three were traveling went out of control and flipped several times after it was struck by another car at high speed, according to a report posted on the KTVU news Web site.

Reuters DH VP0542