Police Apprehend Man They Say Fled Crash
The driver of a 1994 Nissan that collided with a minivan Sunday night abandoned his car and ran away, police said.
Officers traced the vehicle to its registered owner and went to his Santa Ana home Monday. The owner, Rodolfo Perez, admitted that he had been involved in the accident but “got scared” and fled, Santa Ana Police Sgt. Steve Despenas said.
Nine people were in the minivan when the accident occurred on South Grand Avenue, officials said. Several of them suffered injuries, including cuts and neck pain, Despenas said, and four people were taken to Western Medical Center-Santa Ana for treatment.
Perez was taken into custody on suspicion of felony hit-and-run, Despenas said. The driver of the minivan ran a red light and appears to have been at fault, he said.
Despenas said that, because the other driver may have been at fault and the injuries were not serious, authorities most likely will file misdemeanor charges against Perez.
“He made things much worse by leaving the scene,” he said.
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