County Traffic Toll Grows to 8 Dead in 24 Hours

Orange County’s weekend traffic death toll grew to eight with the deaths in separate accidents of a motorcyclist and a motorist who was thrown from his car. All eight deaths occurred within a 24-hour period, authorities said.

A San Juan Capistrano man died when he was ejected from his car and pinned beneath it on the San Diego Freeway south of the 605 Freeway about 11:40 p.m. Saturday, according to the California Highway Patrol.

Donald McLeod, 54, was southbound in the No. 2 lane of the freeway when he tried to move into the fast lane, said dispatcher Rufus Harrison. McLeod’s car struck another car in the second lane and went out of control, careening into the center divider, he said.

Car Overturned

The car rolled over three times, ejecting McLeod and then landing on him, Harrison said. McLeod had not been wearing a seat belt, Harrison said.

The driver of the other car was not injured. The CHP did not know what caused McLeod to run into the other car, Harrison said.

Hours earlier, a 19-year-old man was killed when his large, off-road motorcycle struck a car that was turning into a driveway, Buena Park police said.

Witnesses told police that Rene Eugene Lucy of Buena Park had been speeding west in the 6100 block of Myra Street about 2:20 p.m. and had just completed a “wheelie” (balancing on only the rear wheel) when he struck the left front fender of an eastbound car.

Lucy was thrown from his motorcycle and died of head injuries at the scene, said Sgt. Tony Kelly. The other driver, an unidentified 19-year-old man, was not held, police said.

Earlier Saturday, three other accidents had taken six lives and injured a seventh person.