Santa Ana : Woman Killed, 3 Hurt in Four-Car Accident

One woman was killed and three other people were injured in a four-car crash Friday afternoon in the 1200 block of North Euclid Street, police said Saturday.

Three women were driving north on Euclid Street at 4:45 p.m. Friday when they were rear-ended, said Santa Ana Police Lt. Mike Mitchell. Their car spun into southbound traffic where it was slightly struck by two other cars, whose drivers were uninjured.

A third car then struck the women’s vehicle head-on. The driver of that car, Charles Hanlin of Fountain Valley, suffered chest and leg injuries, and was listed in fair condition Saturday at Fountain Valley Regional Hospital.

Rescuers had to cut the women’s car apart to free Nhi Thi Nguyen, 18, from the back seat. She died at the scene, Mitchell said. Ha Thi Thu Nguyen, 27, of Fullerton was taken to UCI Medical Center, where she was in critical condition, a nursing supervisor said.

Phuong Hoang, 29, of Yorba Linda, the driver, was taken to Fountain Valley Regional Hospital, where she was in fair condition.

The driver of the car that rear-ended the women, Gary Lynn Poulson, 32, of Long Beach, was booked into Orange County Jail on suspicion of felony drunk driving and vehicular manslaughter, Mitchell said.