Car Hits Couch on Freeway; 4 Injured
A couch that had fallen onto the Costa Mesa Freeway on Thursday triggered an accident that injured four people.
Lidia Bernal, 29, was northbound on the freeway west of Baker Street at 12:20 p.m. when she hit the couch, which became lodged underneath her car, California Highway Patrol Officer Rick Pena said.
Bernal, of Santa Ana, had turned on her emergency lights, but she was hit from behind by a car traveling about 60 m.p.h., he said.
“The second driver tried to stop, but he collided into the back of the first vehicle and it caught fire,” Pena said.
Bernal was taken to Western Medical Center in Santa Ana with minor injuries.
The driver of the second car, Joseph Beutsch of Newport Beach, suffered moderate injuries, Pena said. His two passengers, 22-year-old Esther Alvarez and 3-year-old Maria Guadalupe, both of Costa Mesa, suffered minor injuries.
They also were taken to Western Medical Center for treatment.
No one was cited in the accident, which remains under investigation, Pena said.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
