Teen killed in car collision

Deepa Bharath

A 19-year-old girl died Friday night and her toddler son and teen

brother were injured when she pulled out of her apartment driveway

into the path of a moving pickup truck, police officials said.

Norma Ruiz-Zanabia of Costa Mesa was pronounced dead at the scene

by paramedics, Orange County Supervising Deputy Coroner Larry

Esslinger said.

“She died of blunt force trauma from the accident,” he said. An

autopsy was completed Saturday morning, Esslinger said.

The accident occurred in the 1100 block of Victoria Street at

about 4:15 p.m., Costa Mesa police officials said.

Her 2-year-old son and 15-year-old brother, who remained

unidentified because they are minors, were taken to Western Medical

Center in Santa Ana, said Costa Mesa Police Sgt. Bob Durham.

The woman’s brother was sitting in the front passenger seat and

her son was buckled up in a car seat in the rear, he said.

The 2-year-old boy suffered a skull fracture and was bleeding,

while the 15-year-old boy complained of severe pain, Durham said.

Police officials have not received any updates on the condition of

either victim, he said.

Hospital officials could not be reached for comment on Saturday.

The accident occurred as Ruiz-Zanabia pulled out of her apartment

complex, going forward, onto Victoria Street, Durham said.

The driver of the Dodge pickup truck hit Ruiz-Zanabia’s 1989 Honda

Accord, broadsiding the car on the driver’s side, he said.

“The woman did not see the truck coming,” Durham said. “And the

truck driver couldn’t stop in time to prevent the accident.”

Police are still in the process of wrapping up the investigation,

he said. Excessive speed or alcohol were not factors in the crash,

Durham said.

It’s hard to say what caused the unfortunate incident, he said.

“It was sunset and the sun was probably in the truck driver’s

eyes,” Durham said. “But she should’ve had a clear view of the truck.

It’s hard to tell what spurred her decision.”