Police Search for Drag Racer

Santa Ana police Sunday sought leads to the identity of one of the drivers in an illicit drag race Friday that killed a Santa Ana man and injured his three daughters.

Police were seeking the driver of a black pickup or SUV that witnesses said was racing another truck that struck a Ford Tempo head-on at Flower Street and Central Avenue about 6:50 p.m. Friday.

Police had only a sketchy description of the vehicle and hoped that someone might come forward with a license plate or a description of the driver, said Sgt. Baltazar De La Riva, spokesman for the Santa Ana Police Department.

The crash killed Jose Escobar Estrada, 35, of Santa Ana. His daughters, Esmerelda, 11, Michelle, 6, and Clarabell, 3, were being treated at Western Medical Center-Santa Ana.

At the family’s request, the hospital declined to provide details on their conditions. De La Riva said that shortly after the accident, Michelle was reported in “very serious” condition and her sisters had suffered moderate injuries.

The alleged driver of the pickup that struck Escobar’s car, Arturo Ruiz, 21, of Santa Ana, was recovering from injuries at UCI Medical Center in Orange. Police said he will be charged with vehicular manslaughter when he is released.

De La Riva said police questioned Ruiz about the driver who fled the scene but “his statements haven’t helped us” because he apparently doesn’t know him. De La Riva said the unidentified driver could be charged with “exhibition of speed,” a misdemeanor.

At a small apartment complex on South Shelton Street in Santa Ana, neighbors spoke kindly of the hard-working Escobar, his wife, Margarita, and their daughters, residents for the last 10 years.

“They were friendly with everyone,” said Adrian Garcia, 30, a neighbor across the hall from the Escobars’ apartment. “The whole neighborhood knows he died.”

Witnesses told police that Ruiz and the driver of the other vehicle were apparently racing each other, starting at Flower Street north of Sunflower Avenue, and were cutting in front of one another for about a mile before the accident. The two vehicles reached speeds of more than 60 mph during the race, witnesses said.

They added that the two trucks were stopped at a traffic light at Alton Avenue and continued the race when the light changed.

The driver of the black vehicle cut in front of Ruiz’s truck, and then apparently hit the brakes. Witnesses said Ruiz swerved to avoid the other vehicle or to pass it, but lost control and crossed into oncoming traffic.