Swerving Car Hits Students

Four children were injured Tuesday--one seriously--when a motorist lost control of his car and plowed through a group of horrified students standing on a street corner in Anaheim Hills, police said.

The accident caused pandemonium among frantic parents and schoolchildren who had just left El Rancho Middle School for the day.

Witnesses said children and adults ran screaming from Fairmont Boulevard and Santa Ana Canyon Road, while others dived into bushes to escape injury or froze in terror as a swerving Toyota Camry hit several students, including a 13-year-old boy who was dragged as far as 50 feet.

Police said the driver apparently suffered medical problems shortly before the crash and complained of chest pains and dizziness afterward.

“Kids began to scatter and scream,” said Elizabeth Fey, 43, of Anaheim Hills, who watched the 3 p.m. accident unfold as she waited to pick up her daughter Melissa. “I got out of my car and went screaming because I did not know if my daughter was the one that got hurt.”

To her relief, Melissa was not involved.

All of the injured are students at El Rancho, which runs on a year-round schedule.

Erick Pena, 13, of Anaheim Hills, was in guarded condition Tuesday night at Western Medical Center--Santa Ana, with moderate to severe burns on 10% to 20% of his body.

Police said Erick was trapped under the Toyota and received burns to his back and abdomen from either the hot exhaust system or radiator fluid.

Receiving lesser injuries were Chuck Keller, 11, and his 13-year-old sister Charlene, who were bruised and bloodied in the accident, witnesses said.

They were taken to Kaiser Permanente Anaheim Medical Center. Information about their condition was unavailable.

The car also grazed a 10-year-old boy, who was not seriously hurt and declined medical attention.

His identity was not available Tuesday night.

Police said Thomas P. Guagliardo, 54, of Anaheim was heading east on Santa Ana Canyon Road when his Toyota veered onto the sidewalk, brushing past the 10-year-old and clipping a pickup.

Guagliardo, they said, swerved back across the street, striking a white Ford Expedition as its driver prepared to turn onto Fairmont Boulevard.

The impact forced the big sport utility vehicle into the intersection, where it struck a van and spun around.

Police said Guagliardo kept going and headed directly into a group of about 15 students standing on a corner.

“We were talking and laughing and then there was a big boom,” said Ashley Lohr, a seventh-grader at El Rancho, who was with Charlene Keller.

“We looked up and saw a car heading straight for us.”

Lohr recalled that a friend pulled her out of the way, but not Keller, who was struck by the Toyota and almost hit by another motorist.

“She was just frozen,” Lohr said. “Her eyes were so big. The other car stopped with its tires only inches from her stomach.”

Eric Jacobs, 12, recalled that he was standing next to one of the boys who was hit, but managed to get out of the way by diving into some bushes.

“All I could think about,” Jacobs said, “was getting out of there.”

According to police, Erick was run over and trapped under the Toyota until a group of students and adults rolled the car away.

Witnesses said he was covered with tire marks, oil stains and red blotches.

“He said he was burning and pleaded for help,” recalled Christopher Rodriguez, 12, who was in the school band with Erick. “He was pinned right under the car.”

“It skinned me, but we jumped out of the way,” said Bryant Mercado, 13, who was in the group of students. “All we could hear were kids screaming and running.”

Guadliardo was listed in stable condition at Placentia Linda Hospital, but details of his injuries were not available.

Marion Guagliardo of Anaheim, the motorist’s mother, said her son apparently had blacked out while driving, but she added that she was not aware that he had any serious health problems.

His driving record shows no violations.

Police said the driver of the Ford Expedition, Brent Hoops, 40, of Anaheim, received minor injuries in the accident. Hoops was treated at Placentia Linda Hospital and released.

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Times staff writers Jessica Garrison, Jason Song and Mai Tran contributed to this report.

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Roadside Terror

Source: Anaheim police