TRAUMATIC DEATHS, 1988

Accidents, homicide and suicide killed 743 people in Orange County in 1988. The largest share, 16%, died in Santa Ana, which also had the most accident and homicide victims. Anaheim’s 38 suicides were the most in any single city/community.

TRAUMATIC DEATHS BY CITY/COMMUNITY-1988

Percent Community Accident Suicide Homicide Total of Total Santa Ana 61 18 41 120 16 Anaheim 32 38 16 86 12 Fullerton 21 18 5 44 6 Costa Mesa 22 15 5 42 6 Huntington Beach 16 20 5 41 6 Garden Grove 12 18 9 39 5 Orange 15 13 5 33 4 Tustin 5 12 7 24 3 Newport Beach 12 10 1 23 3 Buena Park 10 7 5 22 3 Laguna Hills 9 13 0 22 3 Westminster 9 6 4 19 3 Irvine 11 5 1 17 3 Fountain Valley 8 4 1 13 2 La Habra 5 5 2 12 2 San Juan Capistrano 5 5 2 12 2 Seal Beach 3 6 2 11 1 Stanton 2 6 3 11 1 El Toro 6 3 1 10 1 Laguna Beach 5 5 0 10 1 San Clemente 4 5 1 10 1 Cypress 2 6 0 8 1 Dana Point 3 3 2 8 1 Placentia 3 3 2 8 1 Yorba Linda 5 1 2 8 1 Laguna Niguel 1 6 0 7 1 Mission Viejo 2 3 1 6 1 Brea 1 1 2 4 1 Los Alamitos 2 2 0 4 1 Capistrano Beach 2 1 0 3 * Silverado 1 1 0 2 * Sunset Beach 1 0 1 2 * South Laguna 1 0 0 1 * Trabuco 1 0 0 1 * Freeways 0 2 0 2 * Out of county 16 1 2 19 3 Unknown place 37 1 1 39 5 of incident TOTAL 351 263 129 743 100

* Less than 1%

Note: No deaths by accident, suicide or homicide were recorded in La Palma, Midway City, Modjeska, Rancho Santa Margarita or Villa Park.

Source: Orange County Coroner’s Office

HOMICIDES, SUICIDES AND TRAFFIC FATALITIES-1988

HOMICIDES Gunshot wounds 76 Stab wounds 21 Bludgeoning 12 Strangulation, manual or by ligature 7 Battered child 2 Run down by auto 2 Smoke inhalation, arson 2 Battered with fists 2 Plastic bag over head 1 Thrown to floor 1 Elder neglect, malnutrition 1 Heart attack, stress related 1 Nose and mouth bound with duct tape 1 TOTAL HOMICIDAL DEATHS 129

SUICIDES Gunshot wounds 138 To head 115 To body 23 Drugs 51 (including those prescribed and in some cases alcohol) Hanging 34 Inhalation of auto exhaust fumes 12 Self-inflicted lacerations 6 Jumped from height 4 Intentional drowning 7 Plastic bag over head 1 Ran into path of truck 1 Ingested insecticide 1 Self-immolation by fire 2 Ingested alcohol 1 Struck by train 1 Ingested bowl cleaner 1 Residential fire 1 Traffic 2 TOTAL SUICIDAL DEATHS 263

TRAFFIC FATALITIES

(A traffic fatality is a death resulting from a vehicle accident occurring on a public thoroughfare.)

Driver of vehicle 120 Motorcycle operator 31 Pedestrian struck by vehicle 69 Passenger in vehicle 52 Bicyclist 17 Motorcycle passenger 10 Motor scooter/moped operator 1 TOTAL TRAFFIC DEATHS 300

ACCIDENTAL DEATHS-1988

Ingestion and/or injection of drugs 127 (includes prescribed medications and in some cases alcohol) Falls 70 To the same level 56 From height 14 Drowning 29 Fresh water 23 Swimming pool 14 Bath tub 3 Spa 1 Lake, pond 5 Salt water 6 Respiratory obstruction due to 14 food or foreign object Burns, smoke inhalation during fire 12 Acute alcohol poisoning 12 Gunshot wounds, unintentional 11 Therapeutic misadventure * 11 Vehicular, non-traffic 11 Electrocution 5 Crushing injuries 4 Positional asphyxia 4 Ignited clothing with cigarette 4 Aircraft crash 3 Adverse reaction to medication 3 Ligature stranguation, hanging 2 Maternal drug abuse, fatal to stillborn infant 2 Inhaled propane gas 1 Inhaled exhaust of gas generator 1 Inhaled charcoal fumes 1 Inhaled nitrogen 1 Drowned in water puddle during seizure 1 Struck sand bar while body surfing 1 Fell from bicycle 1 Fell from horse 1 Infant suffocated with plastic bag 1 Infant aspirated breast milk 1 Child fell on stick, compressing trachea 1 On forklift, run over by wheel 1 Fell from ship’s bridge to deck 1 Child swallowed balloon 1 Unintentional self-immolation by fire, gasoline 1 Caught in automatic sliding door and fell 1 Fell through plate glass door 1 Chest compressed by automatic garage door 1 Chest compressed by falling wooden door 1 Hyperthermia inside parked auto 1 Child’s clothing caught on 1 swing set, strnagled Injured running in softball game 1 Fell during football practice 1 Shoestring caught on curving 1 playground slide, strangled TOTAL ACCIDENTAL DEATHS 351

* Accidental death during a medical procedure