COSTA MESA : Teen Driver Killed in Car Collision

A 16-year-old driver apparently ran a red light and was killed Sunday afternoon when his car collided with a van going about 45 m.p.h., police said.

The victim’s name was not released. He lived in Costa Mesa and had been licensed to drive since September, police said.

Traffic Officer Bob Baumgardner said witnesses saw the victim driving his 1981 Toyota Celica west on Baker Street in Costa Mesa and through a red light at the intersection of Redhill Avenue about 3:30 p.m. The car collided with the front end of a Dodge van, which was going north within the speed limit, police said.

The Toyota was struck on the driver’s side. The victim was taken to College Hospital in Costa Mesa and pronounced dead about 5 p.m.

He appeared to have died of massive trauma to the chest and head area, Baumgardner said, but police are awaiting a coroner’s report.

The driver of the van, Kenneth Jaynes, 62, of Santa Ana, was taken to Hoag Hospital in Newport Beach for treatment of what appeared to be minor injuries, Baumgardner said.

The hospital did not immediately release Jaynes’ condition. He was the only person in the van.

The 16-year-old victim’s 10-year-old nephew, who was riding in the Toyota, was treated for a gash to the head and minor injuries, Baumgardner said.