Motorist to Face Charge of Felony Drunk Driving

A Costa Mesa man whose car collided with a van carrying a chapter president of Mothers Against Drunk Driving had more than three times the legal blood-alcohol limit, police said, and now faces a felony drunk-driving charge.

A district attorney’s spokeswoman said that Dane Heftved, 26, who has three drunk-driving convictions, has been ordered to appear in Harbor Municipal Court Oct. 28 for arraignment.

Sgt. Alan Kent said laboratory results show that Heftved had an alcohol level of 0.35% in his blood at the time of the Sept. 21 accident, which left six people with minor injuries.

Since 1981, Heftved has accumulated three convictions for misdemeanor drunk driving and one conviction for reckless driving, according to police. He served jail sentences for the three drunk-driving convictions, police said.

According to police, Heftved was traveling north on Placentia Avenue at 50 to 60 m.p.h. when he rear-ended a van carrying Laurie McCarthy, Orange County chapter president of MADD, and three others, police said. Heftved and his passenger also were injured, officers said.