Santa Ana : Riverside Man Killed in Freeway Collision

A Riverside man was killed, but three others escaped serious injury in a four-car, chain-reaction collision on the Garden Grove Freeway in Santa Ana early Friday.

Pablo W. Mendoza, 66, was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident, in the westbound lanes of the freeway near Bristol Street, said Matt Clark, public information officer for the California Highway Patrol.

The accident occurred shortly after midnight, Clark said, when a 1979 Toyota driven by Linda Sentner, 43, of Santa Ana struck the center divider and spun into the center lane.

Sentner left her car, escaping to the right shoulder before the Toyota was struck by a 1984 Chevrolet driven by Teresa Isbell, 28, of Anaheim, causing it to spin further and face the wrong way in the center lane, Clark said.

A third car, a 1968 Volkswagen driven by James Julian, 19, of Los Angeles, hit the Toyota head-on, and was hit nearly simultaneously from behind by Mendoza’s 1969 Volkswagen, Clark said.

Mendoza died of multiple injuries, a spokesman for the Orange County coroner said. One of the other drivers sustained cuts on his head, Clark said. He was treated at UCI Medical Center and released, a spokeswoman said.

Ted Jones, the CHP officer investigating the accident, had not determined what caused the Toyota’s driver to lose control of her car, Clark said, adding that none of the drivers were cited or held.