3 Men Seriously Injured When Car Slams Into Tree

Three men were seriously injured early Saturday when their car veered across Brookhurst Street and struck a tree, authorities said.

The driver, Adrian Charles Muldrew, 36, of Fountain Valley, faces charges of suspicion of possession of amphetamines and driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs after the 2:45 a.m. accident, said Fountain Valley police Sgt. Keith Levin.

Muldrew was listed in critical but stable condition at Western Medical Center in Santa Ana with hip and skull injuries.

Muldrew’s passengers--Jeffrey P. Tucker, 37, of Fountain Valley, and Steven J. McCleave, 35 of Balboa--were also badly hurt. Tucker, who was riding in the front passenger seat, was taken to UCI Medical Center in Orange, where he was listed in critical condition with head trauma, internal injuries and a pelvic fracture.

McCleave, who was in the back seat, was taken to Western Medical Center in Santa Ana with a broken leg. He was listed in stable condition Saturday night.

Muldrew was driving his Nissan 240 SX southbound on Brookhurst at approximately 80 m.p.h. when the car veered across the center line just past Talbert Avenue and struck a large pine tree, a Fountain Valley Fire Department spokesman said.

It took firefighters 25 minutes to pull Muldrew from the mangled car, he said.