A 54 year old woman is dead after a suspected DUI driver rear ended her car and sent it flying into an Orange County wetland. The incident is said to have taken place around 10:40 PM this past Wednesday on the Pacific Coast Highway south of Warner Avenue.
According to the Huntington Beach Police Department, A white BMW 328i rammed the back of a silver Kia Soul, sending the Kia into the depths of the marsh.
“HBPD officers, along with Huntington Beach Lifeguards who were also called to the scene, extracted a 54-year-old woman from Long Beach from the Kia,” HBPD Public Affairs Officer Jessica Cuchilla said in a statement. “Paramedics were called to the scene, and she was transported to a local hospital, where she eventually succumbed to her injuries.”
The driver of the BMW was a 24-year-old man from Long Beach. He was contacted and taken into custody by officers soon after. It is suspected that he was impaired at the time of the incident.
“Based on the preliminary investigation, the Kia was traveling northbound on PCH when it was struck from behind by the BMW, also traveling northbound on PCH, sending the Kia into the wetlands,” Cuchilla stated.
The accident is being investigated by the HBPD Multidisciplinary Accident Investigation Team. Anyone who could have witnessed the crash or the events just prior to it is urged to contact HBPD Traffic Investigator V. Rattanchandani at 714-960-5231.