A wrong‑way driver speeding on State Route 73 caused a violent two‑car crash Friday night in Orange County, leaving three people hospitalized with major injuries, according to the CHP.
About 10 minutes later, CHP received reports around 8:05 p.m. of a vehicle traveling northbound in the southbound lanes of the toll road freeway near Greenfield Drive in Laguna Niguel at about 45 mph.
A few minutes later, additional calls placed the wrong‑way driver near El Toro Road, with witnesses reporting speeds of up to 100 mph. At approximately 8:16 p.m., the vehicle collided with another car south of Bonita Canyon Drive in Newport Beach.
Three people were taken to area hospitals with major injuries.
Investigators say the vehicle traveling the wrong‑way is registered to a missing person from Cypress. The California Highway Patrol could not confirm Friday night if anyone had been arrested in relation to the crash. The investigation is ongoing.