Freeway Crashes Injure Six, Clog Traffic

Two freeway accidents involving overturned vehicles early Wednesday left six people injured and caused traffic to slow to a crawl during the morning rush hour, the California Highway Patrol said.

Two motorists were hospitalized with moderate injuries in a three-car collision at 8 a.m. on the San Diego Freeway near Ward Street in Fountain Valley, shutting down the carpool lane and the fast lane for about an hour, CHP Officer Denise Medina said.

A 36-year-old driver of a Honda hatchback traveling north in the fast lane was rear-ended by a four-door sedan, propelling his vehicle into the center divider, investigators said.

“The impact caused the Honda to overturn and roll over the hood of a Ford Explorer,” Medina said.

The driver of the hatchback and the sedan were taken to Fountain Valley Regional Hospital and Medical Center. The third driver was not injured, Medina said.

Traffic was backed up for about seven miles while authorities cleared the scene, affecting thousands of morning commuters, Medina said.

About 8:45 a.m., four people were injured in another overturned car that left a bottleneck at the Harbor Boulevard offramp of the Riverside Freeway in Anaheim, CHP authorities said.

The accident occurred when a motorist traveling east on the Riverside Freeway lost control of his car as he made the Harbor Boulevard exit, Medina said. The car overturned, causing minor to moderate injuries to four passengers, who were taken to UCI Medical Center in Orange and Martin Luther Hospital in Anaheim for treatment, authorities said. That driver was not injured.

The accident prompted authorities to close the offramp for about an hour. No one was cited in either of the accidents pending the investigations, Medina said.