Irvine : Victim of Paramedic Van Collision Identified

A teen-ager killed when a pickup truck collided with a paramedic van racing to an medical aid call in Irvine has been identified as a resident of Arizona who was visiting friends in Tustin, authorities said Friday.

Martin J. Diaz, 17, a passenger in the pickup, was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident, which occurred about 8:50 p.m. Thursday at Yale Avenue and Trabuco Road, police said, adding that Diaz was a resident of Nogales, Ariz.

The driver of the pickup, David Lozano, 21, of Tustin, was taken to Western Medical Center in Santa Ana, where he underwent surgery for internal injuries. A hospital spokeswoman said Lozano was in stable condition Friday.

Paramedic driver Donald Scott Brown, 26, was also reported in stable condition at the same hospital. His partner, Jose Valbuena, 28, was treated for minor facial injuries but was not admitted.

Irvine Police Sgt. Tom Hume said the paramedic van was traveling south on Yale Avenue with both its lights and siren activated when it was struck in the left front side by the pickup truck, which was traveling west on Trabuco Road.

County Fire Department spokesman Pat Antrim said the paramedic van was coming to the aid of a resident who had gone to a fire station on Walnut Street in Irvine seeking medical attention.

Backup paramedic units from Tustin and Laguna Hills responded to both the original call and the accident scene, Antrim said.

Irvine police and California Highway Patrol officers are investigating the accident.