Passenger Dies as Truck Swerves on 55, Ejects Him
A passenger in a tree-trimming truck died Wednesday after the driver lost control of the vehicle on the southbound Costa Mesa Freeway in Santa Ana.
The victim, identified only as a 24-year-old man from Orange, was thrown from the truck along with another passenger, who suffered minor injuries.
Police were withholding the dead man’s name pending notification of relatives.
The accident occurred about 6:55 a.m. near the transition to the southbound Santa Ana Freeway when the driver--identified as Joel P. Perez, 37, of Anaheim--tried to slow down for traffic.
For unknown reasons, police said, the white two-axle truck swerved sharply to the left, hitting a concrete barrier and ejecting the two passengers.
Perez also suffered minor injuries, police said.
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