MISSION VIEJO, CA — A pickup truck lost control in a busy Mission Viejo intersection and collided with multiple vehicles, authorities reported Sunday.
The truck careened through the intersection at Alicia Parkway and Jeronimo Road, collided with as many as three cars before coming to a stop head-on with another vehicle, Orange County Sheriff’s Department Lt. Joe Cope said.
Six suffered injuries in the crash, taken by ambulance to area hospitals, OCFA reported. Five of the injured were listed as trauma patients, and two of the victims were children, according to the Orange County Fire Authority.
A witness to the crash posted dashcam video of the incident, the moment of impact sending one white SUV backward into another vehicle as shrapnel from the collision exploded into the air.
“I decided to stay in the right lane even though it was five miles ahead before we need to make a right turn,” Li Chiu wrote in their Youtube description of the crash. The truck first collided with the divider, knocked down a medium-sized tree, and struck a side curb before hitting the cars.
“The police saw the entire incident, so did we,” Chiu wrote.
An OCSD officer was in a prime location to view the entire collision and was on-scene within seconds, and the dashcam video shows at approximately 29 seconds.
Video shows the truck barreling through the intersection, from right to left, ending in the left hand turn lane onto Jeronimo from Alicia Parkway.
Alcohol and drugs were not believed to be involved in the collision. Officials report a medical emergency may have been the initial cause.
Source: patch.com