Shortly before noon today, Orange County Sheriff deputies responded to a single vehicle traffic collision involving a pickup truck near the intersection of Dana Point Harbor Drive and Island Way in Dana Point.
The juvenile driver, 16-year-old Rebecca Cespedes of Dana Point, was found deceased at the scene.
The other five juveniles were transported to the hospital. Three are in critical condition, but are expected to survive. Two others had minor injuries.
The teen driver, was was behind the wheel of a Dodge pickup truck, reportedly ran into a tree, according to KTLA.
The Orange County Sheriff’s Department Major Accident Investigation Team is investigating the collision.
Running into trees is a significant issue in the U.S. According to the Federal Highway Administration, trees are involved in approximately 10% of all traffic fatalities each year. Specifically, between 2016 and 2018, there were an average of 3,566 roadway departure fatalities annually where hitting a tree was identified as the most harmful event.
Distracted driving is a significant factor in many accidents, including those involving collisions with trees. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), distracted driving accounts for approximately 14% of all traffic-related fatalities. While specific statistics on tree collisions aren’t always isolated, it’s clear that distracted driving plays a major role in many roadway departure accidents.
This highlights the importance of road safety measures to prevent such accidents.
