BRIEFLY IN THE NEWS 2-car crash...

BRIEFLY IN THE NEWS

2-car crash injures 1, adds to rush hour on Corona del Mar Freeway

A jolting rear-end collision on the Corona del Mar Freeway in

Newport Beach on Tuesday caused one victim to be airlifted to a

hospital and tied up traffic during the evening’s rush-hour commute.

The two-car crash occurred about 7 p.m. on the southbound side,

south of the Campus Drive onramp, a California Highway Patrol

official said.

The driver of a silver Nissan Maxima suffered major injuries,

including possible fractures in the pelvic area and a broken ankle,

and had to be extracted from the car and airlifted to Western Medical

Center in Santa Ana, said CHP Sgt. Jim Rasmussen.

The man’s car was reportedly disabled in the area where the onramp

meets the freeway when a red Jeep Wrangler rear-ended it, Rasmussen

said. The impact caused the Maxima to spin across a few lanes of the

freeway.

The driver’s side door and the steering wheel were removed to get

the driver out, he said. The back of the car was crushed.

“It buckled like an accordion,” CHP Officer Scott Taylor said.

The Jeep’s driver was treated at the scene for minor injuries,

Rasmussen said.

The Jeep suffered a damaged windshield, grill, front lights and

fender, and the right wheel was set back about 7 inches from the

impact.

When officers arrived, they closed three of the five freeway

lanes, causing a backup for a few miles. They reopened the freeway in

an hour.

-- Deirdre Newman