Drunk Driving Suspected in Crash That Injured 5

A suspected drunk driver was in serious but stable condition Monday after a weekend accident in which, according to police, he turned onto Coast Highway in Corona del Mar and ran head-on into another motorist also suspected of driving under the influence. Five people were hurt in the crash.

Police said John Notman, 43, of San Francisco pulled his rented Chevrolet out of the driveway of Studio Cafe II in the 3200 block of East Coast Highway about 12:45 a.m. Saturday and headed west in an eastbound lane. He collided with a Toyota pickup truck driven by Gregory D. Hosey, 24, of Orange, according to police.

Newport Beach Police Officer Bob Oakley said felony drunk driving charges will be sought against Notman because he was at fault and responsible for injuries in the accident.

Oakley said there is a center island on the stretch of Coast Highway where the accident occurred.

“In order to go west, he would have to drive over the center divider,” Oakley said.

A felony drunk-driving conviction can carry a penalty of a year in prison and a $1,000 fine.

Notman remained in Fountain Valley Regional Hospital & Medical Center on Monday with multiple cuts and fractures of his left hip, right hand and skull, a hospital spokeswoman said. Notman’s wife, Katherine, 38, a passenger in the car, was treated for eye injuries and bruises and remained in good condition Monday, the spokeswoman said.

A second passenger in Notman’s car, Richard Dorian, 42, of Huntington Beach, also suffered moderate injuries in the accident and was taken to Western Medical Center in Santa Ana, where he was listed in stable condition.

Hosey was treated and released from Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian in Newport Beach, according to hospital spokeswoman Pamela Bolen. Police said a passenger in Hosey’s car, Bradford Trulin, 21, of Laguna Beach, was also injured, but information on his condition was not immediately available.