Laguna Canyon Crash Leaves 2 Dead, 4 Hurt

Two people were killed and four injured Saturday in a head-on collision on a straightaway of Laguna Canyon Road, a narrow thoroughfare that has been the scene of numerous traffic deaths over the years.

Laguna Beach police said a late-model Ford Taurus driven by a Japanese tourist was traveling west on Laguna Canyon Road, about a half-mile east of El Toro Road, at 3:30 p.m. when it crossed into the oncoming lane, colliding with a Jeep carrying two passengers.

The impact of the collision forced both vehicles several feet into the air, and a third car--a Datsun B-210 attempting to avoid the crash--skidded underneath the airborne wreckage and rolled over.

The fourth car in the accident, an older-model Camaro, struck the Taurus after it fell to the ground.

The driver of the Taurus died instantly, and his passenger was in critical condition. Both men were said to be Japanese nationals from Tokyo, according to Laguna Beach Police Sgt. Greg Bartz.

The driver of the Jeep died at the scene, and his passenger was reported to be in stable condition.

The Datsun driver suffered shoulder injuries and minor cuts, and the Camaro driver suffered face cuts. Neither of these two drivers was carrying passengers, and both were able to walk away from the accident, Bartz said.

The names of the dead were not released pending notification of next of kin, Bartz said. Names of the injured were not immediately available.

The accident closed the highway for more than seven hours Saturday, as police and California Highway Patrol investigators inspected the area. Bartz said two Japanese men had rented the Taurus and were apparently heading for a beach outing. The driver apparently had lost control of the car and veered into the oncoming lane, Bartz said.

“Why he went into the other lane is something we’ll probably never know,” Bartz said. “This stretch is pretty straight, and visibility was 100%.”

Bartz said neither the Taurus nor Jeep appeared to have been speeding. The speed limit along the stretch is 55 m.p.h.

It took Orange County Fire Department personnel more than 40 minutes to cut the Taurus driver from the tangled wreckage, officials said.

The two people listed in critical condition were taken to Mission Hospital Regional Medical Center in Mission Viejo. The Camaro and Datsun drivers were treated and released from Saddleback Hospital and Health Center in Laguna Hills.

Laguna Canyon Road is among the deadliest highways in California, according to authorities. More than 30 people have been killed in the last 10 years on the narrow, two-lane road.

The California Department of Transportation has sought for years to widen the road, but that plan has been opposed by the city and many residents, who contend widening the road would ruin the environment and lead to further development in Laguna Canyon.