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Santa Ana's top news & views blog

Category Archives: Accidents

A 19-year-old DUI driver was arrested after crashing into the fence of an O.C. jail early today

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At about 3:30 a.m. this morning, a 19-year-old crashed her car into the entrance gate of the James A. Musick jail facility, according to the O.C. Sheriff’s Twitter feed.

The unidentified female driver was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence and booked into OC jail.

A brown Range Rover suffered front-end damage near the guard-shack building of the jail, at 13502 Musick. A metal gate was also bent and knocked to the ground, according to the O.C. Register.

The suspect was not booked into the jail she crashed at. The Musick facility temporarily stopped housing detainees as of July 18 while the department makes changes to its jail operations and builds new facilities, according to ABC News.

The Sheriff’s Department posted “We are grateful no OCSD personnel were injured in this collision. While this damage can be fixed, we know that’s not always the case with DUI collisions. Losing a loved one or friend is irreparable. Please always designate a driver or coordinate a ride.”

A Santa Ana man was among four killed in a head-on motorcycle collision on Sunday

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Picture from David Terman’s Facebook page

A Santa Ana resident, David Mark Terman, 59, died in a head-on motorcycle collision on Sunday, according to the O.C. Register.

Terman was on a motorcycle with Edith Mae Hegy, 62, of Elko, Nevada. They both died in the crash.

The Register reported that a Harley-Davidson, with a rider and a passenger, were traveling north about a quarter-mile south of Hicks Haul Road, northwest of Silverado Canyon and south of Irvine Lake and tried to pass a vehicle, according to the California Highway Patrol said: It went into opposing traffic and slammed into a second motorcycle, a Honda, with two people aboard.

Terman is pictured on an older Facebook page on a Honda motorcycle.

The others that were killed in the crash were Regina Michelle Crowder, 48, of Fountain Valley and Jon Michael Schwarz, 50, of Tustin. Each motorcycle involved in the collision was carrying a man and a woman.

Terman’s current Facebook page noted that he was “getting into carpentry work instead of plumbing.” He was a Missionary at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He was originally from Indianapolis, Indiana.

The SAPD has arrested a suspect in Friday’s major injury hit and run collision

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On 06/29/2019, at approximately 9:30 AM, a member of the community notified the Santa Ana Police Department of a suspicious vehicle parked in a residential area. The citizen believed the vehicle may be related to the hit & run collision under investigation, according to the SAPD.

Detectives were called to the scene and determined the vehicle was involved.

Further investigation led Detectives to arrest suspect Lucio Luna, a 48-year-old resident of Santa Ana.

Luna was booked at the Orange County Jail for the charges of Felony Hit and Run DUI.

  • ORIGINAL MESSAGE –

On Friday, June 28, 2019 at approximately 10:37PM the Santa Ana Police Department (SAPD) received a call of a vehicle versus pedestrian traffic collision near the intersection of 1st and Townsend Streets with a pedestrian down in the street. SAPD officers responded to the area and found the pedestrian to still be down in the roadway. The pedestrian was initially found to have a faint pulse and shallow breathing before all signs of life ceased. Officers began CPR until Orange County Fire Authority (OCFA) personnel arrived and took over. The pedestrian was transported to an area hospital where he was admitted in extremely critical condition.

The preliminary investigation revealed the pedestrian, who was in a wheelchair, was crossing 1st Street in a southerly direction within a marked crosswalk when he was struck by a vehicle headed east. Following the collision, the vehicle failed to stop and continued east on 1st. The outstanding vehicle is believed to be a black or dark colored Toyota Camry that should have extensive damage to its front end.

The Santa Ana Police Department’s Collision Investigations Unit (CIU) responded to the collision scene and handled the investigation. Anyone possibly having information about this collision and or the outstanding vehicle is asked to contact the Santa Ana Police Department’s Traffic Division at (714) 245-8200 or Investigator N. Quinones at (714) 245-8284.

The SAPD is investigating a hit and run crash involving a man in a wheelchair

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On Friday, June 28, 2019 at approximately 10:37 PM the Santa Ana Police Department (SAPD) received a call of a vehicle versus pedestrian traffic collision near the intersection of 1st and Townsend Streets with a pedestrian down in the street, according to the SAPD.

SAPD officers responded to the area and found the pedestrian to still be down in the roadway. The pedestrian was initially found to have a faint pulse and shallow breathing before all signs of life ceased. Officers began CPR until Orange County Fire Authority (OCFA) personnel arrived and took over. The pedestrian was transported to an area hospital where he was admitted in extremely critical condition.

The preliminary investigation revealed the pedestrian, who was in a wheelchair, was crossing 1st Street in a southerly direction within a marked crosswalk when he was struck by a vehicle headed east. Following the collision, the vehicle failed to stop and continued east on 1st. The outstanding vehicle is believed to be a black or dark colored Toyota Camry that should have extensive damage to its front end.

The Santa Ana Police Department’s Collision Investigations Unit (CIU) responded to the collision scene and handled the investigation. Anyone possibly having information about this collision and or the outstanding vehicle is asked to contact the Santa Ana Police Department’s Traffic Division at (714) 245-8200 or Investigator N. Quinones at (714) 245-8284.

A woman’s legs has to be amputated after a DUI crash in Garden Grove

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Andres Ramon Salas, 35, of Garden Grove, was arrested after crashing his vehicle into a 66-year-old Garden Grove woman, whose legs later had to be amputated as a result, and then trying to flee from the scene, according to the O.C. Register.

The Garden Grove police found the victim pinned against her car when they responded to the 8000 block of Larson Avenue shortly after 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday night.

The woman was pinned behind her car when the suspect plowed his car into hers as she was standing behind her vehicle, in her neighborhood.

The suspect then tried to speed off but he proceeded to crash into another vehicle about 700 feet away.

The suspect was booked on suspicion of driving under the influence, according to the Garden Grove Police.

The woman ended up at UC Irvine Medical Center in Orange, where her legs were amputated. She remains in critical condition.

A bicyclist died after being struck by a vehicle that jumped the curb in Santa Ana last night

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On Tuesday, June 11th, 2019 at approximately 10:14 PM . the Santa Ana Police Department (SAPD) Dispatch received several calls reporting a traffic collision involving a vehicle and a pedestrian or bicyclist near the intersection of Fairview and Harvard Streets, according to the SAPD.

As the first officers arrived on-scene, they found a male laying on the west sidewalk near a bicycle with major trauma. Orange County Fire Authority (OCFA) personnel responded and briefly treated the male before CARE Ambulance transported him to OC Global Medical Center for treatment. The male was later pronounced deceased at the hospital. In addition to the injured male at the scene, officers were contacted by a male who identified himself as the driver of the vehicle that was involved in this collision.

The preliminary investigation of this collision has revealed the involved vehicle was headed south on Fairview Street while the pedestrian or bicyclist was headed north on the west sidewalk. While traveling south on Fairview, the vehicle jumped the west curbline for some unknown reason and struck the male who was either riding the bicycle or walking adjacent to it. After colliding with the pedestrian, the involved vehicle continued for a short distance south on Fairview before turning into a parking lot. The driver then called police and ran back to where the injured male was lying on the sidewalk.

The cause of this collision remains under investigation. Alcohol and drugs do not appear to be a factor in this collision. The identity and cause of death for the decedent will be determined by the Orange County Coroner’s Office.

The Santa Ana Police Department’s Collision Investigations Unit (CIU) responded to the collision scene and handled the investigation. Anyone having possible information about this collision is asked to contact the Santa Ana Police Department’s Traffic Division at (714) 245-8200.

A suspected DUI driver smashed into another car while driving the wrong way on the 5 Fwy. early this morning

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A wrong-way driver suspected of DUI plowed head-on into another car on the 5 Freeway early Saturday morning, injuring four people, according to the O.C. Register.

The incident happened at around 1:32 a.m. when a car traveling southbound in the northbound carpool lane on the 5 Freeway, near First St., plowed into a vehicle heading north, according to the CHP.

Four people were seriously injured in the vehicle that was going north. They were hospitalized with major injuries.

The driver of the wrong-way vehicle was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

Traffic was so bad because of the accident that the CHP had a hard time getting to the scene of the accident. Traffic had to be stopped to allow the responding ambulances and fire trucks to reach the scene of the accident. In fact they had to drive the wrong way on the freeway to get to the victims.

The identities of the suspected DUI driver and the injured people were not released.

A Santa Ana man pleaded guilty to a fatal DUI pedestrian collision

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Alberto Solano Diaz of Santa Ana, a 38-year-old convicted drunken driver, pleaded guilty Wednesday, May 15, to an alcohol-fueled hit-and-run collision that killed a homeless woman in April, according to the O.C. Register.

Diaz accepted charges of a felony count of hit-and-run with permanent and serious injury and one misdemeanor count each of vehicular manslaughter without gross negligence and driving under the influence of alcohol. He is set be sentenced on June 7.

An SAPD police officer who was on patrol found 40-year-old Leticia Marquez lying in the road, just past midnight, on April 24, on Standard Ave., north of Edinger Ave., according to the SAPd.

Police investigators determined that Marquez had been in a crosswalk but could not ascertain if she was crossing against a red light when she was struck by a vehicle. She was pronounced dead at a nearby hospital.

As it turned out other SAPD officers found unoccupied car that had major front-end damage, a couple blocks away from where Marquez was struck. Diaz, who showed signs of intoxication, was walking away from the car when the police officers detained him.

Diaz previously pleaded guilty, back in 2009, to misdemeanor counts of driving under the influence of alcohol, driving with a blood-alcohol level above the legal limit of .08 and driving without a valid driver’s license. At the time he was placed on three years of informal probation and he was ordered to pay $440 in fines and participate in a first-offender alcohol program for three months.

Diaz has since had his probation revoked and reactivated because he did not pay his fines.

The SAPD is looking for anyone who witnessed the horrific car accident on May 13

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The SAPD Collision Investigation Unit is releasing new video of the major injury collision that occurred on 5-13-2019, in the area of McFadden Avenue and Jackson Street at 12:30pm.

Investigators are looking for any potential witnesses who may have observed the original collision between the white Acura and the stake bed truck at the intersection of McFadden Avenue and Riverview Market Place.0

The video shows there were additional vehicles at that intersection where the original collision occurred. Investigators would like to talk to any of those individuals who may have witnessed the collision.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Investigator Quinones at 714-245-8284. The driver of the Acura remains hospitalized in critical condition.

The SAPD is investigating a fatal car accident that happened on Sunday night

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On Sunday May 5th, 2019 at approximately 8:33 PM, the Santa Ana Police Department Dispatch received calls reporting a traffic collision between a bicyclist and a vehicle in the area of Standard Avenue and First Street just under the railroad overcrossing.

The calling party reported he was driving his 2014 dark grey Dodge Charger in the number two lane at 25 MPH when he struck the male subject with the front of his vehicle. The adult Hispanic male in his early 60’s was still in the roadway. Santa Ana Police officers and Orange County Fire Authority responded to the location code three (lights and sirens) to assess the situation. Several bystanders began gathering around the male subject to protect him from passing vehicles. The male subject suffered severe internal injuries and was not breathing. As the first officers arrived on-scene, they located the male subject lying in front of the grey Dodge Charger in the number two lane. OCFA Medics started treating the male subject with lifesaving efforts. OCFA Medics transported him to OC Global Trauma Center to be treated. He was later declared deceased at the hospital.

The preliminary investigation of this collision has revealed the male subject was walking or riding his bike eastbound along the north sidewalk and fell into the traffic lanes. The driver of the dark grey Dodge Charger struck the pedestrian and remained at the scene. Speed and alcohol do not seem to be a factor in this collision. The identity of the decedent will be determined by the Orange County Coroner’s Office.

The Santa Ana Police Department’s Collision Investigation Unit (CIU) responded to the collision and handled the investigation. Anyone having possible information about this collision is asked to contact the Santa Ana Police Department’s Traffic Division at (714) 245-8200.

Suspect arrested after a DUI crash by Madison Park injured a pedestrian

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Suspect: Albert Solano Diaz (38) Santa Ana

On Wednesday, April 24, 2019 at approximately 12:01 AM, a Santa Ana Police Officer was traveling south on S. Standard Avenue when he came across a female lying in the roadway just north of E. Edinger Avenue.

Upon contacting the female, the officer found her to be unconscious and not breathing. Orange County Fire Authority (OCFA) personnel responded and attended to the victim before she was transported to an area hospital with critical injuries.

Officers conducted an area check and found an unoccupied vehicle with major front end damage in the immediate area and observed a male walking away from the general area. The male was detained and found to be intoxicated. Video surveillance footage showed the male getting out of the vehicle and walking away just before officers locate it.

The male observed walking away from the vehicle was identified as Alberto Solano Diaz. Diaz was ultimately arrested for investigation of DUI. He was booked into the Santa Ana City Jail for (felony) DUI causing injury and (felony) Hit & Run. The female pedestrian remains unidentified and in extremely critical condition. The collision continues to be investigated and alcohol is believed to have played a role.

The Santa Ana Police Department’s Collision Investigations Unit (CIU) responded to the collision and handled the investigation. Anyone having possible information about this collision is asked to contact the Santa Ana Police Corporal Brett Nelson at (714) 245-8208.

Victims of suspected Santa Ana street racing crash identified

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On Saturday, April 20th, 2019 at approximately 9:18 pm the Santa Ana Police Department (SAPD) Dispatch began receiving numerous calls reporting a traffic collision with a vehicle on fire in the 3200 block of S. Bear Street.

Jerman Marquez

As the first officers arrived on-scene, they found the vehicle to be fully engulfed in flames. Orange County Fire Authority (OCFA) personnel responded to the collision scene and extinguished the flames. Inside the vehicle, police and fire personnel located two deceased occupants –
Jerman Marquez, 39, and Richard Inda, 29.

The preliminary investigation of this collision has revealed the unidentified vehicle was headed north on Bear Street from MacArthur Boulevard possibly involved in a street race with another vehicle. As the two involved vehicles passed through Alton Avenue, one of them lost control before striking a tree in the center median of Bear north of Alton. The other vehicle involved in this possible street race and its driver are outstanding and unidentified. The cause of this collision remains under investigation, according to the SAPD.

The Santa Ana Police Department’s Collision Investigation Unit (CIU) responded to the collision and handled the investigation. Anyone having possible information about this collision is asked to contact the Santa Ana Police Department’s Traffic Division at (714) 245-8200.

The family and friends of Marquez have launched a GoFundMe page to help raise funds for his funeral.

Two people died when their car slammed into a tree in Santa Ana tonight

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https://www.facebook.com/QuePasaEnOC/videos/1763731803727057/

A car crashed into a tree at Bear St. and Alton Ave. this evening at about 9:18 p.m., killing two people, according to the O.C. Register.

OCFA firefighters responded to the scene. Only one car was involved.

The two occupants of the vehicle were pronounced dead at the scene. Their names, ages and genders were not made available.

The cause of the crash is being investigated by the SAPD..

A tank of nitrous oxide was found in an SUV after a DUI crash in Fountain Valley this morning

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Alex Nieves, 18, was arrested after the SUV he was driving slammed into a tree, injuring six people, two critically, early this morning, according to the O.C. Register.

Nieves, was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence, after police found a tank of nitrous oxide in the vehicle.

Nitroux oxide, which is commonly known as laughing gas, may have played a role in the car crash.

The crash took place at Harbor Boulevard near Edinger Avenue, just after midnight. The six occupants of the SUV were between 18 years old to their mid-20s, according to the Fountain Valley Police. They were all hospitalized after the crash.

The police believe all of the occupants were “under the influence of a variety of substances.”

Dentists use nitrous oxide as a form of anesthesia and it is also used to pressurize whipped cream canisters and it can also speed up drag racing cars. However it is also popular as a party drug and using it illegally has led to traffic accidents, rapes and teenage deaths.