Separate Traffic Accidents Kill Man, Injure Another

A 38-year-old Orange man was killed and a 67-year-old Seal Beach man was critically injured in separate collisions Wednesday morning that tied up traffic in both areas for several hours, law enforcement authorities reported.

The first accident occurred at 7:42 a.m. at the intersection of Chapman Avenue and Broadmoor Trail, Orange Police Sgt. Jim Hudson said.

The man, identified as Philip D. A’Lurede, 38, of Orange, was driving his car east on Chapman toward Irvine Park when he slowed to turn left at Broadmoor, Hudson said.

He was driving in a 50-m.p.h. speed zone but did not appear to be speeding, police said.

For an unknown reason, the driver apparently failed to notice oncoming traffic as he made the turn.

As his car turned left, Hudson said, it was struck by a dump truck driven by Ruben Guzman Mendoza, 25, of Anaheim.

A’Lurede was pronounced dead at the scene. He suffered major internal injuries. Guzman was unhurt.

The accident closed Chapman Avenue until 3 p.m., while emergency crews and police worked to clear the wreckage. Motorists were forced to make a detour along Katella Avenue.

Hudson said that Guzman was not cited but that an investigation was continuing.

There are no traffic signals at that intersection, located at the top of a steep rise that leads to Santiago Canyon.

The second accident occurred in Los Alamitos at 10:50 a.m. at the Katella Avenue on-ramp to the San Gabriel River Freeway, California Highway Patrol Officer Chuck Davenport said.

Longino Garcia, 21, of Carson was driving his car east on Katella Avenue when he attempted to make a left turn onto the on-ramp, Davenport said.

“But for some unknown reason, he continued to go eastbound in the westbound lanes of Katella,” Davenport added.

Garcia then collided head-on with a car driven by Donald Burt, 67, of Seal Beach, Davenport said. The impact caused Burt’s car to overturn, trapping him in the vehicle. Burt suffered major internal injuries and was listed in critical condition Wednesday at Long Beach Memorial Hospital.

Garcia’s car continued traveling down the wrong side of the road, striking another auto head-on, Davenport said.

Garcia and the driver of the Corsica, Andrew Czupik, 26, of Dayton, Ohio, were not injured, Davenport said. The accident is being investigated, Davenport said.

The collision closed the on-ramp for about 1 1/2 hours.

Neither crash was attributed to alcohol, authorities said.