A car crash that claimed the lives of five California teens could have killed six, but Tamer Mosallam's father refused to let him go on the road trip because he had to study for a test.

The 17-year-old's friends had stopped by his house this past Monday on their way to the beach, but his dad quickly put the kibosh on his plans.

"They came to my house but my dad wouldn't let me go out because I was studying for a test," he told the Associated Press.

The two boys and three girls took off without him, but didn't get far.

While heading south on Jamboree Road in Newport Beach, driver Abdulrahman Alyahyan, 17, lost control of his Infiniti sedan and crashed into a tree, splitting the car in half and killing himself and three others.

The fifth victim died in hospital.

"I was supposed to be with them in the car, that's why there were three girls," Tamer said.

The teens had planned a triple date.

Police say speed was a factor in the deadliest Newport Beach car accident in years, but the exact cause of the crash remains under investigation.

[screengrab via KCAL]