Santa Ana's top news & views blog

Santa Ana's top news & views blog

Category Archives: Accidents

Santa Ana man arrested and charged with a fatal hit and run DUI collision

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Santa Ana Police Department

Advisory: SAPD Traffic Investigators Make an Arrest in Fatal Hit and Run Collision

Arrested: Israel Gutierres Zamora (45) Santa Ana

Booking Charges: Gross Vehicular Manslaughter While Intoxicated, Felony Hit and Run

Victim: Mitchell Paul Viturino (61), Fullerton

On Monday, February 8th, 2016 at 2:01am, officers responded to a report of a two-vehicle collision at the intersection of Bristol Street and 1st Street in Santa Ana. The collision involved a silver 2006 Mercedes Benz E350 sedan and a red 1999 Ford Mustang coupe. It was also reported that occupants of the Mercedes were seen fleeing the scene of the collision. Continue reading→

Woman who killed a little girl in Santa Ana in a DUI crash gets 22 years to life in prison

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ORANGE COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY PRESS RELEASE

Case # 12CF1907

Date: July 15, 2016

DRUNKEN DRIVER SENTENCED TO 22 YEARS TO LIFE IN PRISON FOR MURDERING 6-YEAR-OLD GIRL AND INJURING SISTER AND MOTHER BY DRIVING THROUGH RED LIGHT AND CRASHING INTO VICTIMS IN CROSSWALK

SANTA ANA, Calif. – A drunken driver was sentenced today to 22 years to life in state prison for murdering a 6-year-old girl and severely injuring the child’s sister and mother by crashing into them in a crosswalk after driving through a red light. Jessicah Louise Cowan, 37, Lake Hughes, was found guilty by a jury on April 15, 2016, of one felony count each of murder, vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence while intoxicated, hit and run with permanent injury or death, hit and run with injury, two felony counts of driving under the influence causing bodily injury, two felony counts of driving with a blood alcohol content of .08% or more causing bodily injury, and an infraction for possession of marijuana while driving. Allegations and sentencing enhancements for causing bodily injury to Eloisa M. and Grisea M., having a blood alcohol content of .20 percent or more, fleeing the scene of a vehicular manslaughter, and causing great bodily injury were found true. Continue reading→

SAPD investigators have identified the type of vehicle that struck and killed a woman on 7/10

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Santa Ana Police Department

Advisory:UPDATE – Traffic Investigators have identified the type of vehicle used in fatal hit & run collision

Location: 3900 W. Hazard Ave.

Suspect #1: Male, Hispanic (NFD)

Vehicle: 2007-2011, Nissan, Armada, dark gray

Synopsis: On 07/10/16 at 12:19 AM, officers responded to a vehicle vs. multi pedestrian, hit and run collision on Hazard Ave. west of Harbor Blvd. Upon arrival, the officers located the victims lying in the street on Hazard Ave. Statements obtained indicated the three pedestrians were standing in the two way turn lane on Hazard Ave. when a dark colored SUV, driven by a male Hispanic, drove eastbound in the two way turn lane and struck the pedestrians. Two of the pedestrians sustained critical injuries from the collision and one died as a result of the collision. The driver failed to stop and continued eastbound on Hazard Ave. then southbound on Harbor Blvd. Continue reading→

Man struck and killed by a car near Fitz Intermediate School in Santa Ana

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An unidentified male pedestrian died late on Saturday after he was struck while walking at the 700 block of South Newhope St., in Santa Ana, at around 11 a.m., according to the O.C. Register.

The man whose vehicle struck the pedestrian stayed at the scene and cooperated with the police. Continue reading→

The SAPD is looking for witnesses who saw the fatal hit and run on Harbor early today

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Santa Ana Police Department

Advisory: Traffic Collision Investigators Looking For Witnesses Or Information In Multi-Pedestrian Fatal Hit & Run Collision

Identification of the three female victims pending notification of families

On Sunday, July 10, 2016 at 12:19 am officers responded to a vehicle vs. multi-pedestrian, hit and run collision on Hazard Av. just west of Harbor Blvd.

Based on evidence at the scene, it appears three female pedestrians were standing in the two-way turn lane of Hazard Av. just west of Harbor Blvd. when they were struck by a dark colored SUV. The driver of the SUV failed to stop at the scene and continued eastbound on Hazard Av. out of sight. Continue reading→

Hit and run driver allegedly killed a prostitute at Hazard and Harbor this morning

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One of our readers has reported that a male hit and run driver in a dark SUV, plowed into three alleged prostitutes, killing one, at about 12:15 a.m. this morning. This happened on Hazard Street 1 block west of Harbor.

Paramedics put the deceased victim in an ambulance but they stayed at the scene. Apparently they were waiting to transfer the victim to the O.C. Coroner. Continue reading→

Santa Ana gangbanger sentenced for running over the founder of Oculus Rift

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ORANGE COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, PRESS RELEASE 07/08/2016-3

Subject : MAN SENTENCED TO 15 YEARS TO LIFE IN PRISON FOR KILLING INNOCENT PEDESTRIAN AFTER CRASHING INTO HIM AND LEADING SAPD OFFICERS

Case # 13CF1853

SANTA ANA, Calif. – A man was sentenced to 15 years to life in state prison today for killing an innocent pedestrian after crashing into him at the conclusion of a high speed chase with officers from the Santa Ana Police Department (SAPD). Victor Manuel Sanchez, 24, Santa Ana, pleaded guilty May 17, 2016, to one felony count of murder and one felony count of evading a peace officer while driving recklessly causing serious bodily injury and death with a sentencing enhancement for great bodily injury.

On May 30, 2013, Sanchez was driving a white Dodge Charger in a known criminal street gang area in Santa Ana with two associates. SAPD officers were patrolling the area in a marked police vehicle at the time. Continue reading→

A 21-year-old Santa Ana man blew off his hands with a mortar round last night

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The City of Santa Ana talked tough about cracking down on illegal fireworks but last night was insane. The entire city was a war zone. Even the nicer neighborhoods in north Santa Ana were inundated in mortar rounds.

One young man, 21-years-old, paid the ultimate price for playing with illegal fireworks when he apparently blew most of his hands off, according to the O.C. Register. Continue reading→

Santa Ana man sentenced to 4 years in prison for a fatal hit and run crash

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Ramiro Garcia Jr., a 23-year-old driver from Santa Ana, has been sentenced to four years in prison for a hit-and-run crash in Santa Ana that killed a pedestrian, according to the O.C. Register.

Garcia Jr. pleaded guilty on Monday to one felony count of hit-and-run with serious injury for the fatal Jan. 24 collision, according to court records. Continue reading→

Santa Ana man pleads guilty to a DUI crash that almost killed his family

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Leonardo Morales, a 23-year-old Santa Ana man pleaded guilty Friday to a drunken driving crash in which the SUV he was driving erupted into flames just before two California Highway Patrol officers rescued him, a woman and their two young children, according to the O.C. Register.

Morales admitted to single counts apiece of several felonies including driving under the influence of alcohol causing injury and driving with a blood-alcohol level exceeding the legal limit of .08 percent or more causing injury as well as two counts of child abuse and endangerment. Continue reading→

Man who may have been drunk struck by a vehicle while crossing S. Harbor Blvd.

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An unidentified man in his 40s was hospitalized Monday night after he was struck by a driver while he was illegally crossing a major street, according to the O.C. Register.

The incident happened at around 9:30 p.m.,when a pedestrian walked in front of a vehicle from the left side, as the driver of that vehicle was heading southbound in the 200 block of South Harbor Blvd., according to the SAPD.

The pedestrian appears to have been struck by the vehicle as he was walking across Harbor Blvd., mid-block from west to east outside of any crosswalk. Continue reading→

Victims of fatal flip over crash on the 5 Freeway identified

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Santa Ana resident Edgar Garfias Ramirez, 21, has been identified as one of two men who died last Thursday morning when the car they were in flipped over on the 5 freeway in Tustin, just south of the 55, according to the O.C. Register.

Ramirez and a second unidentified victim, a 22-year-old Tustin man, were pronounced dead at the scene due to head injuries. Both were passengers in the car that flipped over.   Continue reading→

Santa Ana woman facing a fraudulent auto insurance claim charge

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ORANGE COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY PRESS RELEASE

Case # 16CF0799

Date: May 3, 2016

WOMAN ARRAIGNED FOR SUBMITTING FRAUDULENT INSURANCE CLAIM OVER $16,000 FOR VEHICLE BEING DRIVEN BY RELATIVE IN COLLISION

SANTA ANA, Calif. – A woman was arraigned yesterday, May 2, 2016, on charges of submitting a fraudulent insurance claim over $16,000 for a vehicle being driven by a relative in a minor collision. Amezcua Alejandra Rodriguez, 40, Santa Ana, is charged with two felony counts of insurance fraud. If convicted, Rodriguez faces a maximum sentence of six years in state prison. Rodriguez is scheduled for a pre-trial hearing June 17, 2016, at 8:30 a.m. in Department C-55, Central Justice Center, Santa Ana.

On May 29, 2015, Rodriguez’s relative was involved in a minor vehicle collision by hitting a guardrail in Garden Grove. Rodriguez is accused of not being in the vehicle at the time of the collision. Continue reading→

Pedestrian struck and killed by a vehicle at 500 E. 1st St. in Santa Ana

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Yet another unfortunate Santa Ana pedestrian died on Friday night after being struck by a vehicle at 500 E. 1st Street, at Maple Street, in Santa Ana at about 9:15 p.m., according to the O.C. Register.

The unidentified pedestrian, who was only identified as a male, by the O.C. Coroner, was struck and killed by a vehicle described as a minivan. Continue reading→

Santa Ana woman struck and killed while walking in Garden Grove

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Yolanda Cabrera, of Santa Ana, a 51-year-old pedestrian, was hit by a pick-up truck on Friday died from her injuries, according to the O.C. Register.

Cabrera was crossing Haster Street south of Lampson Avenue shortly after 10 p.m., when she was struck by a truck, according to the Garden Grove police. She was reportedly walking east on Haster, “outside of a crosswalk.” Continue reading→