2 Die in Separate Freeway Crashes

Two people were killed in separate freeway accidents in Orange County on Friday and Saturday, one of them after allegedly causing several hit-and-run accidents in Orange and Los Angeles counties, authorities said.

Angel Valdez, 36, of Santa Ana was killed around 11:30 p.m. Friday in a crash on the Santa Ana Freeway near the Main Street onramp, according to a California Highway Patrol dispatcher.

Valdez’s car struck a concrete median, and he was partially ejected, according to the coroner’s office, which said the crash is still under investigation.

A second traffic fatality was reported in Fountain Valley around 5:30 a.m. Saturday on the southbound San Diego Freeway near Magnolia Street, according to the CHP dispatcher.

A 1991 Chevy pickup was traveling south at about 90 mph with a flat front tire.

As the vehicle approached the Magnolia overpass, the driver swerved to avoid a slow-moving van, police said.

Instead, the driver lost control of the truck, which veered sharply to the left and struck the concrete center divider.

The vehicle then careened right across all lanes, plunged down an embankment and collided with a concrete drainage ditch, bursting into flames.

The driver was partially ejected and suffered fatal injuries, according to the CHP.

The same vehicle was believed to have been in a number of earlier hit-and-run collisions, CHP officials said.