4 People Injured in Head-On Collision

Authorities are investigating a head-on collision Sunday involving a driver who may have been under the influence, according to the California Highway Patrol.

The accident, which occurred at 5:50 p.m., closed down the northbound lanes of Victoria Avenue between Olivas Park Drive and Valentine Road for about 20 minutes and sent four people to local hospitals with broken bones and cuts, authorities said.

None of the injuries were life-threatening, according to medical personnel.

Witnesses told investigators that a red Mazda RX-7 was heading north on Victoria Avenue north of Olivas Park Drive, when the driver slammed on the brakes, spun the car around and began traveling southbound, hitting a black Ford Probe head-on, said CHP Officer Manny Fernandez.

Other witnesses said the Mazda was traveling in the southbound lanes, jumped the center divider and collided with the Ford, he said.

The driver of the Mazda was taken to Ventura County Medical Center with a compound fracture of the right wrist and neck and back pain, authorities said. His female passenger was treated for facial cuts. Both live in the San Fernando Valley.

The driver of the Ford, who lives in Ventura, suffered facial injuries caused by the car’s air bag and a cut to his right wrist. His 10-year-old son also suffered injuries to his face caused by an air bag, authorities said. They were both treated at Community Memorial Hospital.