3-car crash in Costa Mesa injures 4

Four people were hospitalized Thursday after a driver allegedly ran a red light in Costa Mesa, triggering a crash that launched one vehicle into the air.

“I saw it go tumble, tumble all over the place,” said John Durio of Newport Beach, who was on his way to Bible study with his wife when the car in front of him was hit from the side. “Absolutely, literally flipped in the air.”

According to police, Blanca Lopez of Santa Ana was driving a silver Mitsubishi Montero Sport westbound on South Coast Drive at Fairview Road about 10:23 a.m. when she ran the red light and hit a red Ford Explorer SUV.

“Her car flipped in the air, landed on its side,” Sonya Mariani of Costa Mesa said of the Explorer’s driver. “I thought she was dead. It’s a miracle she’s not dead. She had her seat belt on.”