Six-Vehicle Crash Mars Holiday Rush

The Thanksgiving holiday scramble started on a sad note Wednesday after a six-vehicle accident on the San Diego Freeway left a 4-year-old girl in critical condition.

The accident occurred in the northbound lanes just south of the intersection with the Santa Ana Freeway near El Toro. The crash took place at about 12:30 p.m. when one car rear-ended another, setting off a chain of collisions.

The girl, identified as Anita Rivers of Irvine, was riding with her mother when their car was rear-ended. The girl was taken by helicopter to Mission Hospital Regional Medical Center in Mission Viejo. She was admitted to the intensive care unit with head injuries. Hospital authorities said the girl had been wearing a seat belt.

Two other people were injured in the accident, which stopped northbound traffic for about an hour.

Meanwhile, unusually crowded freeways were reported throughout Orange County on Wednesday. California Highway Patrol officers said that while they expect congestion to continue throughout the holiday weekend, they hope to curb the number of accidents and deaths caused by drunk driving. Sixty-two traffic fatalities were reported on Thanksgiving Day statewide last year.

Highway Patrol officers said they will be out in force looking for drunk drivers and helping motorists with disabled vehicles. Several Orange County police departments announced they will set up random checkpoints in an effort to catch drunk drivers.

Law enforcement officials are asking motorists to call 911 to report drunk or erratic drivers. “If they can give us the type of vehicle, the direction of travel and the license plate number, it makes it easier to check out the report,” said CHP Officer Michael Lundquist. “We won’t get them all, but we might get the one who would have killed you.”

Making sure a vehicle is in proper driving condition can also be a lifesaver on crowded holiday freeways. “One in 10 fatal accidents occurs after someone gets stuck on the highway,” Lundquist said.

While traffic was backed up on most major freeways Wednesday, traffic at John Wayne Airport flowed fairly well. Airlines reported congested terminals but few significant delays for their heavily booked flights.

In fact, it may have been harder to get out of the main parking lot at the airport than up in the air and off to Thanksgiving dinner. In an effort to relieve some airport congestion, airport officials recommend that travelers at John Wayne Airport who leave their cars for extended periods should use the Main Street parking lot, where parking costs $5 per day. There is a free shuttle service from that lot every 20 minutes, and it is cheaper than the short-term parking lot next to the terminal. Parking at the short-term lot is $1.50 an hour and $15 per day.