On Saturday, October 12th, 2019 at approximately 9:58 AM, the Santa Ana and Garden Grove Police Departments received several calls of a major traffic collision on North Susan Street and Westminster Blvd involving two vehicles. Officers from both departments responded to the area and found two vehicles located on the southeast corner of the intersection with major damage. Officers located an elderly male driver sitting in the driver seat of a 2004 silver Honda Civic non-responsive. He appeared to be the only occupant in the vehicle still trapped. Orange County Fire Authority (OCFA) personnel responded and used the “jaws of life” to extract him. According to OCFA Medics, the driver suffered major injuries to his upper body and OCFA transported him to UCI for treatment. The elderly male driver was pronounced deceased at the Hospital.
Officers located a second driver involved in this collision. The female adult driver and her two small children were standing on the sidewalk near her 2006 burgundy Jeep Grand Cherokee. The children were in the vehicle during the time of the crash. All three of them suffered minor injuries to their heads and arms. Medical personnel transported them to the Garden Grove Hospital to be treated.
The preliminary investigation based on statements and video surveillance, shows the driver of the 2004 silver Honda Civic stopped on Susan Street facing north at Westminster Blvd. The driver entered the intersection at a slow speed to make a left turn onto Westminster Blvd. Video surveillance shows the vehicle completely stopping in the #2 lane just prior to impact. The driver of the 2006 Jeep Grand Cherokee was travelling in the number two lane on Westminster Blvd at safe speeds attempted to avoid the collision by veering to the right. Her vehicle collided into the driver side of the 2004 Honda Civic. Both vehicles came to rest on the southeast corner of the intersection. Neither alcohol or drugs appear to be a factor in this collision.
The Santa Ana Police Department’s Collision Investigation Unit (CIU) is handling the investigation. Anyone possibly having information about this collision is asked to contact Investigator N. Quinones at (714) 245-8284 or the Santa Ana Police Department’s Traffic Division at (714) 245-8200
