Crash near South Coast Plaza entrance injures 1 person and snarls traffic

By Hannah FryStaff Writer

Feb. 29, 2016 1:29 PM PT

A rollover crash that sent one person to the hospital Monday afternoon slowed traffic on a major road and closed an entrance to South Coast Plaza, authorities said.

The three-car collision occurred on Sunflower Avenue at Plaza Drive, a street that provides an entrance to South Coast Plaza by the Nordstrom department store, said Costa Mesa Fire Department Capt. Chris Coates.

Firefighters responded to the scene at 12:40 p.m. and began triaging the people inside the cars. Three individuals declined to be taken to a hospital. A woman in her 30s was taken to OC Global Medical Center in Santa Ana with non-life-threatening injuries, Coates said.

Traffic along eastbound Sunflower Avenue was slowed and Plaza Drive was closed as officials worked to clear the crash.

Costa Mesa police are investigating the cause of the crash.

Hannah Fry

Hannah Fry covers breaking news for the Los Angeles Times. She most recently covered Orange County for The Times and has written extensively about criminal trials, housing, politics and government. In 2020, Fry was part of the team that was a Pulitzer finalist for its coverage of a boat fire that killed 34 people off the coast of Santa Barbara. Fry came to The Times from the Daily Pilot, where she covered coastal cities, education and crime. An Orange County native, Fry started her career as an intern at the Orange County Register.