New Santa Ana | Category Archives: Accidents

A woman was struck by a car and killed last night in Santa Ana

Posted on April 17, 2021 by Editor Posted in Accidents, SAPD Leave a comment

On Friday, April 16th, 2021 at 7:47 PM, the Santa Ana Police Department received several calls of a female down in the roadway in the 3600 block of W. 1st St. Officers responded to the area and found a female down in the roadway suffering major injuries. Orange County Fire Authority personnel responded and began to treat the female at the scene. The female was transported to an area hospital for further treatment where she was subsequently pronounced deceased by hospital personnel.

The preliminary investigation has revealed the female pedestrian was crossing 1st Street just west of Bewley Street when she was struck by the vehicle which was headed west on 1stStreet. The motorist who was operating the vehicle remained at the scene and cooperated with the investigation. Alcohol does not appear to be a factor in the collision.

The Santa Ana Police Department’s Collision Investigations Unit (CIU) is handling the investigation. Anyone possibly having information about this collision is asked to contact Inv. N. Guijarro at (714) 245-8219 or the Santa Ana Police Department’s Traffic Division at (714) 245-8200.

Suspect wanted for a fatal hit and run traffic collision in Santa Ana

Posted on April 14, 2021 by Editor Posted in Accidents, Crime, Santa Ana, SAPD 1 Comment

On Friday, July 17th, 2020 at approximately 9:25 PM, the Santa Ana Police Department received several calls of a male down in the roadway at the intersection of Harbor Blvd and McFadden Ave. Officers responded to the area and found a male down in the roadway suffering major injuries. Orange County Fire Authority personnel responded and began to treat the male before pronouncing him deceased at the scene.

The preliminary investigation has revealed the male was standing on the center median of McFadden Ave when he was struck by a vehicle headed west. The vehicle involved fled from the scene prior to the officers’ arrival. It remains outstanding and it, along with the driver, remain unidentified. It is unknown if alcohol is to have played a role in this collision.

Possible Vehicle Description: White 2014 or newer Toyota Highlander. The vehicle will likely have damage to the front driver side of the bumper and undercarriage.

Anyone with information on the identity/whereabouts of the suspect/vehicle is asked to contact Corporal Quinones at NQuinones@santa-ana.org or (714) 245-8701.

Man with prior DUI convictions charged again after a fatal DUI crash in Newport Beach

Posted on April 14, 2021 by Editor Posted in Accidents, Alcohol, Costa Mesa, Crime, Newport Beach, OCDA, Public Safety 1 Comment

SANTA ANA, Calif. – A 28-year-old Costa Mesa man charged with murder for killing Richard Frost, 74, of Newport Beacha while driving under the influence had three prior driving under the influence convictions and was wanted on warrants on two other driving under the influence cases. He has also been charged in a hit-and-run that occurred shortly before the fatal collision.

Stewart Waithanji was arrested by Costa Mesa police at a nearby bar parking lot shortly after the hit-and-run collision that left the 74-year-old man dead.

Waithanji has been charged with one felony count of murder, one felony count of driving under the influence, one felony count of driving under the influence with a blood alcohol content of .08 percent or higher, and two misdemeanor counts of hit and run.

Prosecutors have asked for an increased bail of $2 million. He faces a maximum sentence of life if convicted on all charges.

Around 4 p.m. on Saturday, April 10, 2021, Costa Mesa police were called to the scene of a hit-and-run accident on Newport Boulevard south of 17^th Street with witnesses attempting stop the driver from leaving the scene. Officers found an injured 74-year-old man in the street. The man was treated by paramedics and taken to a local hospital where he died.

Witnesses reported the victim was attempting to stop the driver of a silver Chevy Malibu from leaving the scene when he was struck. The driver, later identified as Waithanji, continued driving. He was arrested a short time later in the parking lot of a Los Alamitos bar.

Waithanji was wanted on a warrant on a September 2019 driving under the influence case and also on second warrant for an October 2019 driving under the influence case. He has three prior driving under the influence convictions in Iowa.

“The life of a human being is not something to be discarded and thrown away; a life is something to be celebrated, treasured, and lived to the very fullest,” said Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer. “Yet, a 74-year-old man was left for dead in the middle of the street, tossed aside as if he never mattered, because of the selfish decision of a stranger to get behind the wheel while intoxicated. His life may not have mattered to the driver who left him for dead, but it matters to me and it matters to the Orange County District Attorney’s Office. And we will fight for justice for him and everyone who loved him.”

Senior Deputy District Attorney Heather Brown of the Homicide Unit is prosecuting this case.

A serious car accident occurred this afternoon near Carl Thornton Park

Posted on March 29, 2021 by Editor Posted in Accidents, Fountain Valley, OCFA, Santa Ana 1 Comment

An MCI (Multi-Casualty Incident) was declared after a two-vehicle traffic collision at W. Segerstrom/S. Raitt in
Santa Ana this afternoon, by the OCFA. The collision occurred about a block west of Carl Thornton Park.

The MCI involved up to nine people. Two of the victims were treated/transported by paramedics to local trauma centers.

The Fountain Valley Fire Dept. assisted at the scene.

A little boy was fatally struck by an SUV at a Garden Grove park

Posted on March 19, 2021 by Editor Posted in Accidents, Garden Grove, Parks and Recreation Leave a comment

Garden Grove police officers and the Orange County Fire Authority were dispatched to a traffic collision that occurred at the Haster Basin Park, located at 12952 Lampson Ave. on the evening of March 18. The collision involved a small SUV and a 6-year-old boy.

The vehicle was traveling in the parking lot when it struck the child. The boy was transported to a local hospital, where he was later pronounced deceased.

Members of the Garden Grove Police Department Traffic Unit responded to the scene and conducted an investigation. The driver of the SUV remained at the scene and cooperated with investigators.

The vehicle has been impounded for evidence. The investigation is ongoing to determine the cause, and if drugs and/or alcohol impairment was a factor.

Anyone who witnessed this incident is asked to contact Traffic Investigator Paul Ashby at (714) 741-5823.

An elderly woman was struck by a vehicle and killed today near Lincoln Elementary

Posted on February 23, 2021 by Editor Posted in Accidents, Santa Ana, SAPD Leave a comment

On Tuesday, February 23rd, 2021 at 11:54 AM, the Santa Ana Police Department received several calls of a female down in the roadway at the intersection of Sullivan Street and Willits Street, near Lincoln Elementary School.

Officers responded to the area and found an elderly female down in the roadway suffering major injuries. Orange County Fire Authority personnel responded and began to treat the female at the scene. The female was transported to an area hospital for further treatment where she was subsequently pronounced deceased by hospital personnel.

The preliminary investigation has revealed the female pedestrian was crossing Willits Street at Sullivan Street when she was struck by the vehicle which was headed south making an eastbound turn. The motorist who was operating the vehicle left the scene. He was later contacted at his residence a few blocks away and is cooperating with the investigation. Alcohol does not appear to be a factor in the collision.

The Santa Ana Police Department’s Collision Investigations Unit (CIU) is handling the investigation. Anyone possibly having information about this collision is asked to contact Cpl. W. Hadley at (714) 245-8216 or the Santa Ana Police Department’s Traffic Division at (714) 245-8200.

A Costa Mesa DUI driver hit a pedestrian and a car and was arrested

Posted on February 21, 2021 by Editor Posted in Accidents, Alcohol, Costa Mesa, Crime 1 Comment

COSTA MESA, Calif. (Feb. 21, 2021) — The Costa Mesa Police Department has arrested a man suspected of DUI after striking a pedestrian and second vehicle earlier this morning.

Today, Feb. 21, 2021, at approximately 2:07 a.m., officers responded to a vehicle versus pedestrian traffic collision. A driver in the first vehicle ran a red light going south on Newport Boulevard at 19th Street and struck a pedestrian at Harbor Blvd., then collided with a second car at Harbor Boulevard before rolling over.

The pedestrian and the driver of the second vehicle were transported to a nearby hospital.

There are no fatalities in this incident. The driver, Herman Martinez, 22, Maywood, in the first vehicle did not suffer injuries and was subsequently arrested for DUI.

MAIT was called out and a Sig Alert was put out.

Presently, northbound Newport Boulevard is open. Southbound Newport Boulevard remains closed until approximately 10:00 a.m.

An ambulance was struck by a vehicle in Costa Mesa

Posted on February 17, 2021 by Editor Posted in Accidents, Costa Mesa Leave a comment

Costa Mesa police officers responded to a traffic collision on southbound Newport Boulevard on Tuesday morning, Feb. 16 after a vehicle struck an ambulance in an intersection.

The Lynch ambulance, with its lights flashing and sirens blaring, was driving a patient and clearing the intersection of Newport Blvd. and Fair Drive, near the Costa Mesa City Hall, when a driver collided with the ambulance.

Costa Mesa Fire & Rescue responded to assess and treat the injured.

The driver and two ambulance employees were transported to a nearby hospital with mild to moderate injuries.

The patient was also transported to the hospital. No drugs or alcohol are suspected and no arrests were made.

The Costa Mesa Police Department noted that “It’s important to always be aware of your surroundings and to enter intersections cautiously.”

A pedestrian was seriously injured by a hit and run driver in Little Saigon

Posted on February 17, 2021 by Editor Posted in Accidents, Crime, Garden Grove, Little Saigon Leave a comment

A pedestrian was struck by a hit and run driver in Garden Grove on Monday night, Feb. 15, at about 10:15 p.m. near the intersection of Westminster Avenue and Dawson Street, near Brookhurst in a Little Saigon commercial area.

The victim was seriously injured, and remained in critical but stable condition as of Tuesday night, according to the Garden Grove Police Department.

The victim may have been struck by a gold-colored vehicle that may have front-end damage, according to witnesses.

The Garden Grove police have not identified any suspects or made any arrests. Anyone with information about the collision should call the Garden Grove police at 714-741-5704.

A Corvette lost control, killing one and injuring two in Garden Grove

Posted on February 16, 2021 by Editor Posted in Accidents, Garden Grove Leave a comment

An unidentified 22-year-old man was killed on Monday night, Feb. 15, when the Chevrolet Corvette he was riding in in apparently veered into oncoming traffic and crashed with an SUV, according to the Garden Grove Police Dept.

The crash happened just before 10:20 p.m., on West St., just south of Dunklee Lane. The responding Garden Grove police officers found a badly damaged Buick SUV and the Chevrolet Corvette, according to the O.C. Register.

The man who died in the crash had been sitting in the front passenger seat of the Corvette. He was taken to the nearby UC Irvine Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.

The drivers of each vehicle were also taken to local hospitals, with injuries that were considered serious.

The Garden Grove police reported that the Corvette veered into the lanes of oncoming traffic leading to the crash, according to witness statements.

Speeding may also have been a factor in the crash, according to the police investigators. They are trying to determine if drugs or alcohol were also involved in the fatal car wreck.

A Metrolink train hit a car in Santa Ana this evening

Posted on February 10, 2021 by Editor Posted in Accidents, Metrolink, Santa Ana 1 Comment

A Metrolink train hit a car in Santa Ana this evening that apparently got too close to the train tracks, at about 6 pm. this evening.

Metrolink reported that the train was number 812 and the accident temporarily closed the train tracks between Santa Ana and Orange.

The driver of the car that was struck was apparently uninjured.

The accident happened at 17th and Lincoln.

The train track was cleared about a half hour after the accident.

The Orange police have released a picture of a hit and run suspect’s vehicle

Posted on February 9, 2021 by Editor Posted in Accidents, Crime, Orange, Tustin Leave a comment

The Orange Police Department has released a picture of the car that was involved in a fatal hit and run accident involving a pedestrian, on January 15, 2021, near the Orange Outlets.

A 29-year-old male pedestrian from Tustin was crossing The City Drive South outside of the crosswalk between Justice Center Way and Outlets Drive on Jan. 15. An Acura traveling south hit the pedestrian. A second unknown white vehicle struck the pedestrian and fled the scene. The pedestrian was taken to a local hospital and pronounced deceased shortly after arrival.

The driver of the Acura remained on scene and drugs or alcohol do not appear to be a factor. The second white vehicle was last seen traveling south on The City Drive South.

OPD’s Major Accident Investigation Team obtained a photograph of the white vehicle that fled the scene. Anyone with information can call Detectives at 714-744-7342.

A pedestrian was struck by a vehicle and killed at W. 1st St. and the Santa Ana River

Posted on February 4, 2021 by Editor Posted in Accidents, Santa Ana, SAPD Leave a comment

On Wednesday, February 3rd, 2021 at 9:04 P.M., the Santa Ana Police Department received a call of a male down in the roadway at W. First Street and the Santa Ana Riverbed.

SAPD police officers responded to the area and found an adult male down in the roadway suffering major injuries. Orange County Fire Authority (OCFA) personnel responded and began to treat the male before pronouncing him deceased at the scene.

The preliminary investigation has revealed the male pedestrian was crossing First Street from north to south when he was struck by the vehicle which was headed west. The motorist who was operating the vehicle was contacted at the scene and is cooperating with the investigation. Alcohol is not believed to be involved in this collision. The cause of the collision remains under investigation.

The Santa Ana Police Department’s Collision Investigations Unit (CIU) is handling the investigation. Anyone possibly having information about this collision is asked to contact Investigator L. Bao at (714) 245-8223 or the Santa Ana Police Department’s Traffic Division at (714) 245-8200.

A bicyclist was struck by a hit and run driver in Santa Ana last Friday

Posted on January 19, 2021 by Editor Posted in Accidents, Bicycles, Crime, Santa Ana, SAPD Leave a comment

A Santa Ana resident on a bicycle was struck by a vehicle on Friday night as the bicyclist was heading North on S. Bristol St., crossing at W. Segerstrom.

The vehicle that hit the victim may have been a truck but the bicyclist does not know the model of the vehicle nor the color. He does not recall much about the accident.

The driver of the truck sped off and did not stay at the scene.

The victim was taken to a local hospital by ambulance. His family reports that he is in a great amount of pain and his face remains bruised and swollen. He got 8-10 stitches on his eyebrow.

The victim’s family filed a report with the SAPD. If you saw the accident or know who the hit and run driver is you can report this to the SAPD at (714) 245-8049. You may also file an online hit and run report here.

A suspected drunk driver crashed his SUV into a liquor store in Orange

Posted on January 19, 2021 by Editor Posted in Accidents, Alcohol, Crime, Orange Leave a comment

A suspected 71-year-old male drunk driver crashed his SUV into the Orange Tree Liquor store located at the corner of Glassell St. and Lincoln Ave. in Orange on Monday night, Jan. 18, according to the Orange Police Department.

The crash happened at 7:55 p.m. as the suspect, who had parked his SUV at the liquor store, suddenly accelerated his gray SUV into the building, shattering the glass doors and knocking them loose from their hinges.

An SUV slammed into the front of a liquor store in Orange on Monday evening, Jan. 18, and its driver was arrested on suspicion of driving while intoxicated.

The suspect was arrested on suspicion of DUI – alcohol. The police did not reveal the suspect’s name but did note that he is a resident of Orange.

Fortunately no one was injured in the crash. The Orange Police are investigating the incident.