Local News in Brief : Anaheim : CHP Seeking Witness to Fatal Freeway Crash

The California Highway Patrol is seeking an elderly Latino woman they hope can provide information about a car accident that left one man dead and another severely injured early Sunday on the Santa Ana Freeway.

The woman helped paramedics communicate with the injured man, who spoke Spanish, but left before authorities could get her name, a California Highway Patrol spokesman said.

Killed in the accident was Jose Nava, 21, of Santa Ana. Jose Orozco, 21, also of Santa Ana, was taken to Western Medical Center in Santa Ana, where he was listed in “extremely critical” condition, a hospital spokeswoman said.

The accident occurred about 1:20 a.m. Sunday morning, when the two men were traveling southbound in a car on the Santa Ana Freeway and overturned just north of the Lincoln Avenue off-ramp, ejecting Nava, California Highway Patrol Officer Mike Lundquist said.

Lundquist said the driver of the car, a 1968 Mustang, was moving “recklessly,” and “using all of the lanes.” It was not immediately known which of the two men was driving.

Lundquist said Orozco was ejected after the car rolled back on the highway. He was hit by another car, a 1979 Buick that had swerved to avoid hitting Nava, Lundquist said. One of the cars--police do not know which--then ran over Nava, he said.

The woman, who also was traveling southbound, stopped and helped paramedics communicate in Spanish with Orozco, then left. “Apparently it was very hectic, and they forgot to get her name,” Lundquist said.

Lundquist said police have no further description of the woman or her car. Anyone with information is asked to call either CHP Officer Jim Malner or Officer Jay Grossman at (714) 547-8311.