NEWPORT BEACH : Five Injured When Van Rear-Ends Car

Five people were injured Wednesday when a van, which witnesses said had been weaving in and out of traffic at a high speed, collided into the back of a car on Coast Highway and then slammed into a power pole, police said.

Police Sgt. Andy Gonis said investigators were looking into the possibility that the 10 a.m. accident was caused when the driver of the van suffered an unknown type of seizure. No citations were issued pending the outcome of the investigation.

Witnesses told police that they saw the driver of the Ford Econoline van driving erratically just before he rear-ended a silver 1990 BMW at East Coast Highway and Morning Canyon Road.

The collision spun the BMW into the middle of the intersection.

Nearby city workmen pulled four injured men from the van and called 911 for help, police said.

The driver of the BMW, Harry Michael Markarian, 43, of Laguna Hills suffered minor injuries and was taken to Hoag Hospital where he was later released.

The driver of the van, Steven Chumley, 32, of Huntington Beach, sustained a concussion and facial cuts and was taken to Western Medical Center.

The other van occupants injured were Rodrigo Sanchez, 22, who suffered a broken hand and facial cuts and was taken to Western Medical Center; Cenovio Nieto, 20, who suffered a lower back fracture and was also taken to Western Medical Center; and Albaro Nieto, 23, who suffered broken ribs and vertebrae and was taken to Hoag Hospital. All three men are from Santa Ana.