Laguna Beach Man Injured in Car Crash That Killed Driver

An unidentified 30-year-old Laguna Beach man was injured in an early Wednesday morning high-speed accident in San Clemente that killed the driver of the car he was a passenger in.

The man who was killed, Christopher Dorais Kline of San Clemente, was pronounced dead at the scene, according to Jim Amormino, spokesman for the Orange County Sheriff-Coroner's office.

Kline had a lengthy criminal record for narcotics and other violations, Amormino said.

About 2:30 a.m. Wednesday, an Orange County sheriff's deputy saw Kline speeding in a 2003 Saturn on Avenida Palizada approaching the Santa Ana (5) Freeway, according to a California Highway Patrol report. The chase continued on the freeway and then onto eastbound Avenida Pico, with the headlights dimmed on the Saturn, the CHP reported.

The deputy had great difficulty keeping pace with the suspect and lost sight of the Saturn on Avenida Pico near Avenida Vista Hermosa, but caught up to the car as the driver was making a right turn out of a parking lot, according to the CHP report.

The driver kept going south on Avenida Vista Hermosa south of Avenida Pico for a short distance, then made a U-turn, the CHP reported.

The deputy activated the patrol car's emergency lights and siren and continued the pursuit, trying to stop the Saturn on northbound Avenida Vista Hermosa.

The driver picked up speed before crashing into a big rig at Avenida Vista Hermosa and Avenida Pico, the CHP reported. Kline was ejected from the car.

The Laguna Beach passenger, who was also on probation, was taken to Mission Hospital in Mission Viejo for treatment of unspecified injuries, Amormino said.

The truck driver suffered minor injuries and was treated at San Clemente Hospital, according to the CHP.

—City News Service