Use of narcotics cited as cause of fatal accident

Andrew Edwards

A Placentia man was killed Tuesday morning when the car he was riding

in spun out of control and crashed into a tree on Laguna Canyon Road.

The Orange County coroner’s division identified the deceased

passenger as 27-year old Mark Hering.

The driver of the car was 20-year-old Josh Don Weidman, also of

Placentia. He was driving a 1990 Lexus north on Laguna Canyon Road

and lost control of his car on a turn about one mile north of the San

Joaquin Toll Road, authorities said.

Highway Patrol investigators believe the car spun across the other

lane and collided with a tree on the west side of the road. During

the crash, the passenger’s body collided with the inside of the car.

According to authorities, Hering suffered blunt force trauma and

died at the scene of the crash.

Though the road was wet from the previous night’s rainstorm,

Highway Patrol Officer Chris Goodwin said the primary cause of the

crash was that Weidman was under the influence of narcotics.

Weidman was arrested on suspicion of vehicular manslaughter while

intoxicated and driving under the influence, Goodwin said.

He was transferred to Mission Hospital for treatment of what

investigators described as moderate injuries

Neither Weidman nor his passenger wore seat belts, Highway Patrol

investigators said.