Woman arrested after fatal crash
A Laguna Beach woman was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence after a fatal four-vehicle collision Thursday night.
Leslie Juarez, 27, was traveling southbound at a high rate of speed on San Diego (405) Freeway, just south of Sand Canyon in Irvine when her Mitsubishi Eclipse collided with a Nissan Sentra, driven by Joelle Friedlander, 21, of Torrance, about 11:33 p.m., according to California Highway Patrol Officer John Patterson.
The Sentra spun out of control, possibly because the accelerator was stuck, Patterson said. The Sentra crossed the center divider and spun into the No. 1 and 2 lanes of the northbound side.
A third vehicle, a Toyota Tacoma driven by Geffrey Schuller, 20, of San Juan Capistrano, struck the Sentra, causing it to stop, Patterson said.
A motorcyclist apparently didn’t see the Sentra and crashed into it, Patterson said. JC Droege, 32, of Santa Ana died within minutes of the crash, according to Orange County coroner records.
Friendlander reported minor injuries and Schuller reported none, according to Patterson.
The Orange County district attorney’s office said Juarez posted bail and that the incident is under investigation.
Twitter: @joannaclay
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