Truck Rams Parked Cars, Killing 2 Men

Two Garden Grove men were killed Sunday morning on the Santa Ana Freeway when a suspected drunk driver rammed his pickup truck into them while they were parked on the shoulder.

Loc Tan Nguyen and Juan Johan Vo, both 26, were killed instantly when they were hit by Steven Robert Garcia, 30, of Los Angeles, California Highway Patrol Sgt. Dwight Howard said.

Garcia received minor injuries in the 4:20 a.m. crash. Two passengers in Garcia’s truck also were injured. Rita Lozano, 26, of Los Angeles and Jolene Zeazey, 28, of Pasadena were taken to UCI Medical Center in Orange for treatment of severe cuts on their faces and bodies. They were listed in stable condition.

Just before the accident, Nguyen had parked his car Honda Prelude behind Vo’s car on the shoulder of the northbound freeway and had walked forward to talk to his friend, who had remained in his car, Howard said.

As the two men talked, Garcia’s truck allegedly swerved across a lane and hit both cars, killing the men, Howard said.

Investigators are still trying to determine why Nguyen and Vo had parked their cars on the shoulder.

The two men may have been discussing directions, Howard said.

Garcia was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence and vehicular manslaughter. He was being held at Orange County Jail in lieu of $25,000 bail.

He is scheduled to be arraigned Wednesday.

According to state Department of Motor Vehicles records, Garcia has no driver’s license. He has an expired 1989 California identification card.

Howard said that the incident is still under investigation and that witnesses are being sought for questioning.