Accidents Kill Driver, 3 Pedestrians

One driver and three pedestrians died Saturday in separate traffic accidents on Orange County streets and freeways, authorities said.

The first accident occurred at 7:20 p.m. Friday, when Gregory Collins, 35, of Laguna Hills lost control of his black Mercedes-Benz while driving faster than 55 m.p.h. on Moulton Parkway near Indian Hill Lane in Laguna Hills, California Highway Patrol dispatcher Angela Shepherd said.

Collins, who was not wearing a seat belt and went through the sunroof, died at 1:45 a.m. Saturday at Mission Regional Hospital and Medical Center, Shepherd said.

In La Habra, a driver struck and killed a 21-year-old woman as she tried to cross Beach Boulevard north of Lambert Street about 12:15 a.m. Saturday, police said.

Kimberly Ann Lawson of La Habra was leaving a restaurant and was not walking in a crosswalk when she was struck by David Lee Armstrong, 35, of Canoga Park, who was driving a Datsun 240-Z, La Habra Police Sgt. Kevin Raisch said.

Armstrong was arrested on suspicion of felony drunk driving and vehicular manslaughter. He posted bail and was released Saturday, Raisch said.

About 30 minutes after the La Habra accident, a 24-year-old Marine was killed as he tried to walk across the southbound lanes of the San Diego Freeway south of Lake Forest Drive, the CHP’s Shepherd said.

The man was walking from the center divider to the right shoulder when he was struck by a Buick and then several other vehicles, Shepherd said.

“Investigators don’t know why he was crossing the freeway. There was no vehicle in the center and no other vehicles around,” Shepherd said.

The Marine, who was stationed at Camp Pendleton, was not identified pending notification of his family.

A third pedestrian was struck and killed in Huntington Beach about 12:47 a.m. when he ran across northbound traffic lanes on Beach Boulevard south of Adams Avenue, Police Sgt. James Cutshaw said.

The victim, identified by Orange County coroner’s deputies as David Freeman, 32, of Huntington Beach, had been walking along the raised center divider when he darted into the street, Cutshaw said.

Freeman died at 3:30 a.m. at Fountain Valley Regional Hospital and Medical Center.