Unidentified Man Killed, Two Injured in Collision

A three-car collision on Laguna Canyon Road fatally injured one man and tied up traffic for nearly six hours Monday, police said.

The incident, which happened about 11:20 a.m. just south of the San Diego Freeway, began when the driver of a 1992 Honda Accord traveling southbound veered over the center line, sideswiping a northbound 1992 Acura driven by Wilson Szeto, 33, of Aliso Viejo, and sending Szeto’s car onto the dirt shoulder, police said.

The Accord then collided head-on with a 1999 Honda van driven by Michele Ferretti, 38, of Perris, knocking the van onto the shoulder.

All three drivers were transported to Mission Hospital Regional Medical Center in Mission Viejo, where the driver of the Accord was pronounced dead from internal injuries. Ferretti was hospitalized in stable condition Monday night, and Szeto was released after observation.

The man who died could not be identified immediately, said Sgt. Denny Jenner of the Irvine Police Department, which is handling the investigation. Excessive speed may have been a factor in the crash, he said.

Police ask that anyone with further information about the incident call Investigator Doug Coffing at (949) 724-7024.