A wrong way driver on the 405 Freeway in Irvine was killed and injured four people on Tuesday.
The accident happened just before 1:20 a.m. The wrong-way driver, 54-year-old Rieko Toyama of Gardena, was southbound on the 405 Freeway in the northbound carpool lane, near Harvard Ave. According to the California Highway Patrol, Toyama, who was driving a 2010 Nissan, slammed head-on into a 2014 BMW. The crash caused the Nissan to flip.
The wrong way driver, who was not wearing a seat belt, was partially ejected from the car. She was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident.
The BMW was driven by 29-year-old Westminster resident Hassan Kadri. He had one passenger: 29-year-old Fountain Valley resident Sabine Teodorescu. Both were transported to UCI Medical Center with major injuries.
Subsequent to the initial crash, a 2008 Mercedes-Benz crashed into the overturned Nissan. The occupants of the Mercedes, 70-year-old couple Isabelo and Zoima Millanar of Westminster, were transported to Orange County Global Medical Center in Santa Ana.
Authorities are still investigating whether alcohol or drugs played a part in the accident.
If you or a loved one has suffered serious injuries as the result of a car accident, you should seek the advice of a personal injury lawyer. McGee, Lerer & Associates is a Long Beach personal injury law firm that specializes in catastrophic injury and death cases. Our lawyers, a husband and wife team, each have over 20 years of experience representing accident victims. The attorneys at our firm are available 24/7 for a free consultation.