Carpool Van Is Forced Off Ortega Highway; Five Hurt
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Five people were injured Wednesday, one critically, when a carpool van was forced off the road and plunged down an embankment on Ortega Highway, police said.
The accident happened in a remote area about seven miles east of San Juan Capistrano.
Tony Camilleri, a spokesman for the California Highway Patrol, said a black car traveling west tried to pass another car, forcing the driver of the eastbound commuter van to swerve to avoid a head-on collision.
The van driver lost control of the vehicle, which rolled 15 feet down an embankment, Camilleri said.
Investigators are looking for the black car and its driver, who left the scene.
The van driver, who had two broken legs, is in critical condition, officials said. The four passengers, who had only minor injuries, were treated at Mission Hospital Regional Medical Center in Mission Viejo.
Police ask any witnesses to call CHP Officer Eric Barnard at (949) 487-4000.
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