ANAHEIM : Councilman Pickler Hurt in Car Accident

Councilman Irv Pickler, who is running for the state Assembly, was in stable condition Monday at Western Medical Center-Santa Ana after a weekend car accident left him with two broken legs.

Pickler, 72, suffered a broken right thighbone, which required surgery, and a broken left knee when his Cadillac struck a light pole Saturday. Police said he was swerving to miss a car that turned in front of him.

In a hospital interview Monday, Pickler said his injuries will not deter him from running for Garden Grove Republican Curt Pringle’s 68th District Assembly seat or fulfilling the remainder of his council term, which expires in November. Pickler is seeking the district’s Democratic nomination in June’s primary against Linda Kay Rigney of Garden Grove.

“I’m not going to let a little thing like this slow me down,” said Pickler, a retired businessman who has been on the council since 1982. “I’ll be out of here in a week, and I’ll be in a wheelchair for a while. I won’t be able to knock on doors (for the Assembly race) like I wanted to, but I’ll get somebody to drive me around. I just need to be able to sit behind a desk to get the things done that I need to do.”

Pickler was driving west on Orange Avenue at 12:28 p.m. Saturday when an eastbound car driven by Karrie Ann Huss, 18, of Anaheim, turned left onto Western Avenue in front of Pickler’s car, Anaheim Police Lt. Ray Welch said. When Pickler swerved, Huss’ car clipped his, causing him to lose control and hit the pole, Welch said. Huss was not injured.

No citations have been issued, and the accident is still being investigated, Welch said.