LAGUNA HILLS : Man Dies When Van Plunges Off Freeway
A 31-year-old Westminster man was killed early Tuesday when the van he was driving went out of control and plunged headlong off Interstate 5, the California Highway Patrol reported.
Hoang Quang Tran died instantly in the 8 a.m. crash south of the La Paz Road exit, CHP Officer Patti Gentile said.
Tran, who was transporting a load of fruit and produce, was heading south on the freeway at an unknown rate of speed when a tire apparently exploded. The van then veered sharply to the right, struck an emergency phone call box and sped off the freeway, leaving long skid marks, Gentile said.
The van plunged about 150 feet, rolling over as it fell. At one point, the roof was peeled back, and the driver was ejected from the van, said CHP Officer Keith Ferguson, who investigated the fatal accident.
Tran’s body was found on a grassy patch about 6 feet from where the van came to rest, Ferguson said.
No other cars were involved. Gentile said officers stopped traffic briefly while they examined the skid marks.
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