Fountain Valley, Santa Ana : 2 Men at Bus Stops Killed in Accidents

Two men were struck and killed by vehicles while they waited at bus stops Tuesday in Santa Ana and Fountain Valley, police said.

Both victims were hit by vehicles that were apparently out of control, officials said. The driver who struck the man in Santa Ana sped away from the scene, and police are investigating the incident as a hit-and-run.

The Santa Ana incident occurred about 8:40 p.m. at South Main Street and McFadden Avenue. According to police, 33-year-old Fernando Jose Zapata of Santa Ana and an acquaintance were standing at the bus stop at 1131 S. Main St. when a speeding northbound vehicle, described as a dark blue, full-size pickup, drifted to the right, struck the curb, and continued forward with part of the truck traveling on the sidewalk.

The pickup struck Zapata, throwing him against a brick wall, police said. The pickup driver sped away. Zapata died at Western Medical Center-Santa Ana.

A few hours earlier, a 69-year-old man was fatally injured at a bus stop near Edinger Avenue and Ward Street in Fountain Valley. According to police, 69-year-old Harry Stanley Studebaker, described as a transient, was sitting at a bus bench when he was struck by a car driven by Tuyet Mai Thi Nguyen, 27, of Westminster.

Police say Nguyen was completing a left turn from southbound Ward Street to eastbound Edinger Avenue when his car hit the curb and crossed the sidewalk, striking Studebaker. He died at the scene.

According to Fountain Valley police Sgt. Dann Bean, Nguyen was not cited and the accident is under investigation. Police urge anyone who saw the accident to contact them at (714) 965-4481.