Woman Dies, 8 Hurt in 3-Car Crash : Accident: Man arrested as drunk-driving suspect has two prior convictions and was driving with a suspended license.

A suspected drunk driver arrested in connection with a three-car accident in which one woman was killed and eight other people injured had two prior DUI convictions and was driving with a suspended license, according to Department of Motor Vehicle and court records.

Brian Klamm, 27, of Costa Mesa was arrested Tuesday night on suspicion of driving under the influence after the Jeep he was driving at speeds of up to 70 m.p.h. rear-ended a car driven by Lourdes Castrejon, also 27, of Costa Mesa, Police Sgt. Robert Ballinger said Wednesday.

The accident occurred on Wilson Street west of College Avenue shortly before 8 p.m.

The impact sent both vehicles out of control. Klamm’s Jeep veered into the eastbound lanes and struck a car driven by Roger R. Olmsted, 45, of West Germany, he said.

“It does appear that (Klamm) was at fault and in violation of driving at unsafe speeds,” Ballinger said. No charges have been filed, but police said manslaughter would likely be one of them.

Susan St. Clair, one of seven passengers in the Olmsted car, died during surgery at Mission Hospital Regional Medical Center in Mission Viejo, according to a hospital spokesman. Attempts to reach members of the St. Clair family were unsuccessful.

A total of three drivers and six passengers were taken to Mission Hospital, Hoag Hospital and UCI Medical Center by ambulance and LifeFlight and Coast Guard helicopters, Ballinger said.

Officers also arrested Olmsted on suspicion of driving under the influence, he said.

“They were arrested for the purpose of obtaining a blood sample for a driving-while-intoxicated investigation,” he said.

Both drivers were released for treatment at the medical center. Klamm, who broke his left leg, was listed in good condition, while Olmsted was listed in fair condition with rib fractures and general abrasions.

The injured passengers were identified as Ronald Fellbaum, 21, of Costa Mesa; Alta Olmsted, 39, Sven Diechmann, 30, Dana Olmsted, 21, and Jennifer Olmsted, 18, all of West Germany, and a 14-year-old Costa Mesa girl.

Klamm, whose license had been suspended because his insurance had lapsed, was convicted in two previous incidents, in 1982 and 1985, of driving under the influence.

In the first incident, he was sentenced to three days in jail, three years’ probation, 100 hours of community service and fined $600, according to records on file in South Orange County Municipal Court.

For the second offense, Klamm was ordered to pay a $700 fine, serve 45 days in jail, seek professional counseling and attend chemical dependency seminars, according to court records at Harbor Municipal Court.

DMV records also show that between 1985 and 1988, Klamm was cited twice for speeding and once for having expired registration.