Boy Critically Injured in Crash at Intersection

A morning rush-hour accident Tuesday left an 8-year-old boy in critical condition with head injuries and sent two other people to local hospitals, police said.

Police said the boy and his father did not appear to be wearing seat belts. Both are from Huntington Beach.

“Both hit their heads on the windshield,” Lt. Dan Johnson said. “The father said they had their belts on, but it doesn’t look like it. The shoulder restraints would have kicked in.”

The father was turning left from Gothard Street onto Heil Avenue at 7:50 a.m. when he collided with another car.

The boy was airlifted to UCI Medical Center in Orange with facial and head injuries. His father was taken to the same hospital by ambulance, also with head injuries, but his injuries are not life-threatening, Johnson said.

The driver of the other car was taken to Western Medical Center-Santa Ana with a broken right ankle and chest pains.

The names of the victims were not available.