Man Crossing Street Pinned Between 2 Cars

A man crossing a busy Santa Ana street Sunday morning was hit by a van that then struck a car, pinning him between the two vehicles.

The victim, whom authorities had not identified Sunday evening, was walking west on Washington Avenue across Broadway when he was struck by a southbound vehicle just before 10 a.m., according to Santa Ana Police Sgt. Jim Seleno.

Witnesses told police that the victim was crossing the street on a green signal, within a marked crosswalk, when he was struck.

The pedestrian, whom police estimated to be about 30, suffered serious head trauma and other injuries and was in critical condition at Western Medical Center-Santa Ana.

The driver was identified by police as Daniel Lawrence Schmidt of Orange. He was driving a 1992 GMC van when he allegedly ran a red light, first striking the victim and then plowing into a 1973 Chevy driven by Alfredo Marques Lomeli of Santa Ana.

Police were investigating the accident Sunday. Schmidt was not taken into custody and has not been charged in the incident, said Police Lt. Bob Chavez.

According to Los Angeles Times reports on pedestrian danger in Santa Ana, the stretch of Broadway on which the driver was traveling at the time of the accident is one of several areas in the city where officials have increased the speed limit over the last 12 years. Police said they did not know how fast Schmidt was driving when his car entered the intersection.

The speed limit on that section of Broadway is 25 mph, Chavez said.