Local News in Brief : South County : 6 Injured in 13-Car Accident on Freeway

Six people were injured in a chain-reaction accident early Sunday on Interstate 5 near Mission Viejo, the California Highway Patrol said Monday.

The accident, which involved 13 cars, occurred at 1:40 a.m. when a driver lost control of his van while traveling in the southbound lane. The van ran off the road, struck a guard rail and came to rest near the center divider of the freeway, a CHP spokesman said.

The driver fled the scene on foot after the accident and has not been apprehended, the spokesman said.

Minutes later, two cars slammed into the van, causing the chain-reaction crashes of the additional vehicles. The driver of one of the cars, Hossain Arami, 28, of Dana Point, was treated at Mission Hospital Regional Medical Center in Mission Viejo for facial cuts, authorities said. Angelo Lazzari, 62, of Laguna Nigel, who was driving another car, also was treated at Mission Hospital for minor injuries.

Lily Lee, 21, and a passenger in her car, Iris Lee, 19, both of San Diego, were treated at Saddleback Hospital and Health Center in Laguna Hills for minor injuries, authorities said.

Alvaro Perez, 24, and a passenger in his car, Dora Sanchez, 21, both of Beverly Hills, also were treated at Saddleback for minor injuries, officials said.