Fiery crash involving wrong-way driver kills 2 on 405 Freeway in Costa Mesa

Two men died Sunday morning after one driver entered the 405 Freeway heading the wrong direction in Costa Mesa, officials said.

The head-on collision occurred just after 4 a.m. when a Ford Mustang entered the interstate heading south in the northbound lanes, according to California Highway Patrol Sgt. Todd Kovaletz. The car soon struck a Ford Expedition near MacArthur Boulevard and the 55 Freeway, causing it to burst into flames, Kovaletz said.

The drivers of both vehicles, both male, were pronounced dead at the scene, Kovaletz said. There were no passengers in either vehicle, he added.

The driver of the Mustang was identified by Orange County coroner’s officials as Jose Garcia Lopez, 29, of Fullerton. The other driver’s name has not been released.

It is unclear where the Mustang entered the freeway, but Kovaletz said that judging by the short interval between initial calls placed to the CHP regarding a wrong-way driver and the time of the crash, it was likely around Bristol Street or Harbor Boulevard.

Authorities have not determined whether drugs or alcohol played a role, but Kovaletz said the issue would be investigated.

“In this area we don’t run into too many wrong-way drivers who are confused, so usually it’s alcohol-related,” he said. “However, it could be anything at this point in the game. We really don’t know yet.”

Myers and Martin write for KTLA. Daily Pilot staff writer Hannah Fry contributed to this report.