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Santa Ana's top news & views blog

Category Archives: Accidents

DUI driver facing a murder trial for killing a 5-year-old girl in Santa Ana

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ORANGE COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY PRESS RELEASE

Case # 12CF1907

Date: April 1, 2016

DRUNKEN DRIVER TO FACE TRIAL FOR MURDERING 5-YEAR-OLD GIRL AND INJURING SISTER AND MOTHER BY DRIVING THROUGH RED LIGHT AND CRASHING IN CROSSWALK

SANTA ANA, Calif. – A drunken driver is scheduled to face trial on Monday for murdering a 5-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, is charged with 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. Cowan also faces allegations and sentencing enhancements for causing bodily injury to Eloisa M. and Grisea M., having a blood alcohol content of .20 % or more, fleeing the scene of a vehicular manslaughter, and causing great bodily injury. If convicted, she faces a maximum sentence of 15 years to life in state prison. Opening statements are scheduled to begin Monday, April 4, 2016, at 9:15 a.m. in Department C-35, Central Justice Center, Santa Ana. Continue reading→

Bicyclist killed by hit and run driver near Warner Ave. and S. Bristol St.

Posted on by Posted in Accidents, Bicycles, Crime, David Benavides, Santa Ana Leave a comment

Ricardo Martinez, a 44-year-old has been identified as the bicyclist who was killed at the 1400 block of West Warner Ave., just east of the South Pacific Avenue intersection, at about 5 a.m. on Saturday morning, by the driver of an SUV who sped away after the accident, according to the O.C. Register.

Martinez  was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident.

Witnesses did not provide the police with a description of the SUV’s driver. However the SUV was reported to have traveled eastbound on Warner after the fatal crash. Continue reading→

The SAPD is investigating a traffic accident that killed a motorcyclist

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Santa Ana Police Department

Advisory: SAPD Investigate Fatal Traffic Collision

Deceased: Jonathan Sepetjian (23) Garden Grove

On 03/08/16, officers responded to the scene of a traffic collision involving a motorcycle and a truck at the intersection of 17th St. and Linwood Ave.

At approximately 8:12pm, a 2006, Harley Davidson, being ridden by a male adult was traveling eastbound on 17th St. at Linwood Ave. when he collided with a 2002, Toyota, Tundra as the driver of the Toyota made a left turn from westbound 17th St. to southbound Linwood Ave. Continue reading→

90-year-old man dies after being struck by a car at Harbor Blvd. and Westminster Ave.

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Tran Nguyen, of Lake Forest, a 90-year-old man died on Sunday after he was hit by a car while crossing an intersection in Santa Ana, according to the O.C. Register.

The accident happened at the intersection of Harbor Blvd. and Westminster Ave. Police received a call on Sunday at 9:24 a.m. and when they arrived at the scene they found the victim lying on the ground. Continue reading→

Hit and run driver wrecked four cars in Garden Grove on Sunday night

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An unidentified man fled from a pickup truck late Sunday night, after allegedly causing a four-car wreck in Garden Grove that injured two people, according to the O.C. Register.

The man was driving southbound in a 2008 white Chevrolet Silverado at around 11:30 p.m. Sunday at the 13100 block of Magnolia Street when he crashed into a vehicle headed in the same direction, according to the Garden Grove Police. Continue reading→

Missing 95-year-old Santa Ana man died in a car accident in Irvine at 4 a.m.

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Jack Edwin Winchester, a missing 95-year-old Santa Ana man died after driving off the 73 Toll Road and onto Bonita Canyon Drive in Irvine, according to the O.C. Register.

The crash happened just before 4 a.m., after the driver of a Volkswagen Jetta was reported traveling north in the southbound lanes of the 73, according to the California Highway Patrol. Continue reading→

Santa Ana woman dies after being thrown from a car on the 5 Freeway

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An unidentified 23-year-old woman from Santa Ana died after she was thrown from a late-night collision on the I-5 freeway when a driver rear ended a big rig, according to the O.C. Register.

Steven Heemstra, 24 of Irvine, was driving a gray 2013 Honda Civic at around 11:30 p.m. on the southbound I-5, south of First Street, when he crashed into the back of Idolina Romo’s big rig truck, according to the CHP.

The CHP did not report why Heemstra rear-ended the truck. Continue reading→

Car thieves arrested near Willard Elementary School with the help of a K-9

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What started out as yet another Santa Ana car theft quickly escalated this afternoon, after several suspects in a stolen car took off when police tried to conduct a traffic stop, at 4:40 p.m. at West 15th and North Durant streets, not far from Willard Elementary School according to the O.C. Register.

When the suspects sped off the police gave chase, to 3rd and Main Streets, where the suspects crashed their stolen Camry into a curb and they may have also hit an electrical box. Continue reading→

Speeding car caused a fatal crash this morning that closed the N. Bristol and W. First St. intersection

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A high-speed crash left one person dead and two others sought by police in Santa Ana Monday morning, according to KTLA News.

The accident happened this morning just after 2 a.m. when a driver in a silver Mercedes Benz ran a red light while speeding southbound at the intersection of North Bristol Street and West 1st St., according to the O.C. Register.

The speeding driver broadsided a red Ford Mustang that was headed eastbound through the intersection, fatally injury the Mustang’s driver, Mitchell Viturino, 61, of Fullerton. Continue reading→

A driver ran a red light and hit a Santa Ana school bus this morning

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A driver who ran a red light Monday morning slammed into a school bus headed to Edison Elementary School, police said. The eight children on the bus were not injured, according to the Orange County Register.

A school bus driver was driving eastbound on West Wilshire Avenue, shortly before 7:45 a.m., with eight kids between the ages of 7 and 9 on board when they drove through the intersection of South Bristol Street, according to the SAPD. Continue reading→

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

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SAPD Investigating Auto vs Bicyclist Fatal Collision – Deceased Identified

Deceased: Thuc Van Nguyen (77)

On 1/25/16, officers responded to the scene of a traffic collision involving a bicyclist and a pick-up truck on 17th Street at the intersection with LaBonita Avenue.

At approximately 6:07pm, a bicyclist was riding from south to north on LaBonita Avenue at the intersection with 17th Street. While crossing 17th Street, he was struck by a Toyota T-100 pick-up truck. Continue reading→

Fatal hit and run accident last night at Fairview and Edinger results in three arrests

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Santa Ana Police Department

Advisory: SAPD investigates fatal hit and run

Narrative: On Sunday, January 24th, 2016 at 1806 hours, patrol officers along with the Orange County Fire Authority responded to a report of a pedestrian down in the area of Fairview and Edinger. An unidentified male subject who had been struck by a vehicle was located lying on the roadway in the area of 1200 S. Fairview. The subject succumbed to critical injuries sustained in the collision and was pronounced deceased at the scene. The unknown driver and vehicle had fled the scene.

Based on evidence and the scene, it appears the male pedestrian was walking across Fairview Street west to east in the area of the intersection at Dahl Lane when he was struck by a vehicle driving south on Fairview. Continue reading→

Mui La identified as Santa Ana pedestrian who was killed by a vehicle this week

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Mui La, of Santa Ana, a 65-year-old woman, was identified Friday as the pedestrian who was struck and killed while crossing a street two days earlier, according to the O.C. Register.

La was crossing the street in an unmarked crosswalk in the 4000 block of West McFadden Avenue, at around 5:30 p.m., when a driver who was headed eastbound struck her. She ended up at a local hospital where she later succumbed to her injuries. Continue reading→

Woman dies after being struck by a car at W. McFadden Ave. and Harbor Bl.

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An unidentified woman in her late 50’s lost her life today as she was crossing the street at an unmarked crosswalk at the 4000 block of West McFadden Ave., according to the O.C. Register.

The woman was struck by a vehicle traveling east on W. McFadden just before 5:10 p.m.

She was taken to a local hospital where she was pronounced dead at 5:45 p.m. Continue reading→

Two robbery suspects may have also run down a pedestrian with their car

Posted on by Posted in Accidents, Crime, David Benavides, Gangs, Sal Tinajero, Santa Ana Leave a comment

The SAPD arrested two robbery suspects on Monday, a few hours after a gang-related attack in which a pedestrian was struck by a car that appeared similar to the one used in the robbery, according to the O.C. Register.

SAPD police officers got a call at 6:30 p.m., on Monday, regarding some teenagers who were robbed of their money and their skateboards while they were at Centennial Regional Park, which has a skate park, located at 3000 W. Edinger Ave., in Santa Ana,. The robbers were a man and a teenage boy, who was armed with a handgun. Continue reading→