Crash claims Laguna man’s life

Deepa Bharath

Officials have identified a man who died in a fierce crash on the

Corona del Mar Freeway on Tuesday night as 35-year-old Russell Wayne

Bridge of Laguna Beach.

The one-car collision occurred at about 7:50 p.m. Tuesday on the

southbound Corona del Mar Freeway near Bison Avenue when Bridge lost

control of the 2003 Chevy Silverado pickup truck he was driving,

veered off the roadway and crashed into a steel guard rail,

California Highway Patrol officials said.

“The vehicle then came to rest on its roof against a sign pole,”

CHP Officer Colleen Richardson said.

The collision was so severe that Bridge died on the spot, she

said. The Orange County coroner had scheduled an autopsy for

Wednesday.

After the collision, Bridge was trapped in the vehicle and had to

be extricated by firefighters, Richardson said. CHP officials said

Tuesday evening that there was a passenger in the car. But Richardson

confirmed on Wednesday that Bridge was the sole occupant of the

vehicle.

Investigators have not yet determined what caused Bridge to lose

control of his vehicle, Richardson said.

The overturned truck blocked the No. 3 lane and part of the guard

rail was protruding into the roadway, officials said Tuesday.

Traffic was snarled, and a SigAlert was issued at 8:02 p.m. that

lasted for more than four hours, officials said.

* DEEPA BHARATH covers public safety and courts for Times

Community News. She may be reached at (949) 574-4226.