Boy Killed, 4 Hurt When Car, Tractor-Trailer Collide

A collision of a car and a tractor-trailer on the southbound Orange Freeway in Brea on Monday killed a 13-year-old boy and injured his four companions, police said.

Phillip Ramirez of Walnut died immediately of head injuries when the car he was traveling in glanced off of the tractor-trailer, rolling 2 1/2 times before stopping near the Lambert Road off-ramp, Deputy Coroner Cullen Ellingberg said. Injured were the driver of the car, Kelly Jo Kovach, 19, her brother and sister Todd, 17, and Tiffany, 12, and Sean Kent, 15, all of Walnut.

The driver of the tractor-trailer, Benjamin L. Coleman, 35, Riverside, was uninjured, California Highway Patrol Officer Rocky Hamilton said.

Kovach was driving in the slow lane of the freeway between 60 and 70 m.p.h. at 2:25 p.m., Hamilton said, and Coleman was traveling at about 55 m.p.h. in Lane 3. The trouble started when both drivers tried to change into each others’ lanes at the same time.

The left rear wheel of Kelly Jo Kovach’s Nissan 200 SX hit the tractor-trailer’s right front tire, sending the car careening, Hamilton said. Kelly Jo, Ramirez and one other passenger were hurled from the car. None was was wearing a seat belt, Hamilton said.

Kelly Jo and Todd were taken to UCI Medical Center in Orange. A hospital spokesman said she was in fair condition Monday night but would not comment on Todd.

Tiffany and Kent were treated at Brea Community Hospital and released, a spokeswoman said. No one has been cited. An autopsy on Ramirez is pending.