Local news in Brief : Anaheim : Wrong-Way Driver, 76, Killed in Freeway Crash
A wrong-way driver was fatally injured on the Orange Freeway just north of Katella Avenue about 4:10 p.m. Sunday when his northbound car plowed head-on into a southbound pickup truck, the California Highway Patrol reported.
The wrong-way driver was identified by the county coroner’s office as Edward Phillips, 76, of Laguna Hills, who was pronounced dead at the scene.
The driver of the pickup was taken to UCI Medical Center in Orange with “moderate injuries,” said the CHP, which identified him only as a 48-year-old Placentia man.
Authorities said the Phillips car became northbound in the southbound lanes. The CHP said investigators could not determine why or how the car got into the flow against traffic.
“Several people (driving on the freeway) said they had to take evasive action to avoid being hit by him,” a CHP dispatcher said.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
