ANAHEIM : Wrong-Way Driver Causes 5-Car Pileup

Fifteen people were injured in a five-car pileup on the Riverside Freeway early Friday when an alleged drunk driver lost control of his car, veered across the grassy center divider into oncoming traffic and caused a chain-reaction crash.

The 12:15 a.m. accident near the Lakeview Avenue exit closed three lanes of the eastbound freeway for more than two hours, said California Highway Patrol Officer Rick Pena.

He said that Alejandro Martinez Barron, 22, of Santa Monica was traveling westbound when he lost control of his vehicle. The car sped across the wide, grassy center divider and entered the eastbound lanes.

Martinez’s car then struck a car driven by Pedro Enriquez, 53, of Corona, Pena said. Enriquez’s car then sideswiped a car driven by Sang Kim, 26, of Riverside.

Martinez’s car continued heading the wrong way on the eastbound side of the freeway, slamming into cars driven by Phillip Adishian, 32, of Corona and Lloyd Bennett, 45, of San Bernardino.

Bennett suffered severe facial cuts and fractures and was airlifted to Mission Hospital Regional Medical Center in Mission Viejo, where he was listed in critical condition, a hospital spokeswoman said.

Martinez, who was also left in critical condition, was taken by ambulance to UCI Medical Center in Orange, said hospital spokeswoman Fran Tardiff. He was arrested there on suspicion of felony drunk driving, said CHP Officer Matt Clark.

Adela Barron, 39, of Corona, who was in Martinez’s car, was also listed in critical condition at the hospital, Tardiff said.

Another passenger in Martinez’s car, Pablo Varajas, 18, was taken to Kaiser Permanente Hospital-Orange County in Anaheim with minor injuries. He was treated and released, Clark said.

Enriquez and five members of his family were taken to Western Medical Center-Santa Ana and treated and released, hospital officials said.

Adishian and three members of his family were taken to Kaiser hospital, where they were treated for minor injuries and released, a hospital spokeswoman said.

Kim refused medical attention, Pena said.