Vehicle Knocks Motorcycle Into Boy, Killing Him, Injuring Men

A 15-year-old Garden Grove pedestrian was killed and two men were injured Saturday when a vehicle driven by a man suspected of being drunk slammed into a motorcycle stopped at a red light in Santa Ana, knocking it into the pedestrian.

Police Lt. Bob Jordan said the boy was killed shortly after 10 p.m. Saturday as he was crossing 17th Street at Fairview Street, a few blocks west of Santa Ana College. As the teen-ager walked in front of the waiting motorcycle, a vehicle driven by Roberto Dixon, 26, failed to stop for the light and hit the rear of the motorcycle, police said.

The force of the impact threw the motorcycle into the youth and propelled him and two men on the motorcycle across the intersection, Jordan said.

A third vehicle, also stopped for the red light, was struck by the falling motorcycle, Jordan said. It was unknown whether the driver or any passengers of that vehicle were injured.

Authorities withheld further information on the dead youth, pending notification of relatives.

Police identified the motorcyclist as Ernesto Soto, 22, of Santa Ana, but were unable to release full identification on the passenger, a hitchhiker in his late 20s, believed to be from Santa Ana.

The two men were taken to UCI Medical Center in Orange with back injuries, Jordan said. Soto was listed in stable condition on Sunday. Although a nurse said he was “doing real well,” he complained of “a lot of pain.” The second man was listed in serious condition.

Dixon, also of Santa Ana, was booked into the Orange County Jail on suspicion of vehicular manslaughter and felony drunk driving, Jordan said.