A Look Back:

Nineteen-year-old Michael Madison was waiting outside his girlfriend’s Costa Mesa house with a carload of friends early one Saturday morning in November 1964 when she arrived home from a party with another guy.

The teenage love triangle would end in tragedy after a dangerous high-speed car chase between a jealous Madison and his romantic rival through the quiet residential streets of Newport Beach and Costa Mesa.

When Jerry Dale Kennedy, 18, of Newport Beach pulled up to the curb around 12:30 a.m. in front of 16-year-old Sheri Lilly’s parent’s house on Santa Ana Avenue, the pair noticed Madison and five other teenagers parked in a car nearby.

“I told Jerry let’s go, there’s going to be a fight,” Lilly said to Kennedy, the Los Angeles Times reported Nov. 29, 1964.

When Madison and several other teenage boys climbed out of the car and began walking toward the pair, Kennedy threw his car into gear and sped off.

Madison “was pretty jealous at his girl being out with the other boy,” Newport Beach Police Officer William Laughlin told the Los Angeles Times.

A wild 15-minute car chase ensued through several residential neighborhoods as Kennedy and Lilly tried to shake off Madison and his friends.

Billy Edward Covey, 16, of Costa Mesa, was driving the pursuing car that carried Madison and the other teens.

Kennedy was driving about 50 mph west on Highland Drive just east of Irvine Avenue when he slammed on the breaks on a curve in the road, according to historical news accounts.

The car crashed broadside into a tree, tossing Kennedy and Lilly from the vehicle.

Kennedy died instantly. Lilly suffered minor head injuries and was rushed to Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian.

Madison was arrested and charged with second-degree murder and manslaughter.

The second-degree murder charge was later dropped, and Madison pleaded not guilty to manslaughter, the Los Angeles Times reported Feb. 20, 1965.

After a two-day, non-jury trial, Orange County Superior Court Judge Howard C. Cameron found Madison guilty of vehicular manslaughter with negligence, the Los Angeles Times reported April 7, 1965.

Madison appeared in court on crutches at is sentencing hearing due to “nervous arthritic condition,” where he was ordered to serve six months in county jail and three years’ probation, The Times reported on April 23, 1965.

It is unclear from historical news accounts whether Madison served the sentence.

The judge released Madison after his sentencing hearing pending the outcome of an appeal of his conviction.

It was not immediately clear whether Madison won his appeal.