SANTA ANA : Driver Killed, 2 Others Badly Injured in Crash

A 25-year-old man was killed and his brother and another passenger were critically injured when the car they were in veered into a tree at high speed late Thursday in what appeared to be a drunk-driving accident, police said.

The crash occurred about 11:30 p.m. in the 600 block of South Fairview Road.

Feliciano Perez Cruz of Santa Ana died after he veered out of the northbound fast lane and slammed into a tree in the median, police said.

Perez Cruz had to be cut out of his 1984 Nissan Sentra, said Battalion Chief Tom Skelly.

He was pronounced dead at the scene. It took firefighters about 20 minutes to cut open the vehicle and remove him, Skelly said. Investigators estimated the car was traveling at 60 mph.

Javier Perez Cruz, 19, was taken to UCI Medical Center along with the other passenger, 31-year-old Jeronimo Bulmaro, also of Santa Ana. The two men were in critical condition. Santa Ana Lt. Bob Chavez said investigators learned the men had been at a party at the Perez Cruz home before the crash. It also appears they were drinking in the car, he said.

“There were signs that the parties in the car had been drinking, evidenced by an open beer can in the car and a strong odor of alcohol,” he said.