11.01.2022 | 12:16 AM | NEWPORT BEACH – Four people were freed by firefighters and rushed to area hospitals after a wrong-way crash left them trapped, early Tuesday morning.
Officers began responding to calls reporting a white Toyota Camry speeding northbound in southbound lanes of the SR-73 Freeway near Laguna Canyon Road around 12:16 AM.
Before officers could arrive subsequent callers reported that the Toyota collided with a white 2016 Buick Enclave at Newport Coast Drive.
At the scene authorities located both vehicles with heavy damage and debris blocking all lanes.
Three women in the Buick along with the driver of the Toyota were trapped in the wreckage and had to be freed by firefighters in a process that lasted about 30 minutes.
All four trapped victims, along with another occupant of the Buick that appeared uninjured, were rushed to nearby hospitals in varying conditions.
At least one of the four, believed to be the driver of the Toyota, was the subject of a DUI investigation.
A white Toyota Tacoma struck debris in the roadway and sustained a flat tire but was not involved in the initial impact.
All southbound lanes of the SR-73 Freeway were closed at Newport Coast Driver for about two hours while crews worked to clear the scene.
