Costa Mesa: Suspected DUI Crash Injures Pedestrian, Two Others

02.21.2021 | 2:07 AM | COSTA MESA – A suspected DUI driver was under arrest after running a red light and striking a pedestrian along with another vehicle, early Sunday morning.

The crash was first reported around 2:07 AM near the intersection of Newport and Harbor boulevards.

When officers arrived on scene they found a two-car crash involving a grey pickup truck and a silver BMW coupe with at least one pedestrian down.

Initial reports indicate the driver of the pickup truck was traveling southbound on Newport Boulevard when he ran a red light at 19th Street before colliding with a pedestrian and the BMW coupe at Harbor Boulevard.

The pickup truck continued on for almost a block after the collision before overturning on the wrong side of the road near West 18th Street.

Firefighter paramedics located a total of five victims from the crash including a pedestrian along with the driver and passenger of the BMW coupe.

Of those, four victims were transported to area hospitals, according to a source. A fifth victim refused transport.

The driver of the pickup truck, later identified as 22-year-old Herman Martinez, of Maywood, was uninjured and placed under arrest on suspicion of DUI.

A police press release initially reported that only two people were transported from the crash but that was later determined to be inaccurate. In a revised statement police said only three patients were transported but that information was at odds with other reliable sources.

Southbound Newport Boulevard was closed between 19th Street and West 18th Street until about 10:00 AM while police investigated.

Miles Madison

Miles started reporting breaking news in 2015 and has been providing high-quality news video and timely reports from the Orange County area ever since. Combining his experience as a seasoned photojournalist, radio operator and sleuth, Miles provides unrivaled multimedia news reports.