Four passengers were seriously injured after being thrown from the bed of a pickup truck after the teenage driver slammed into a parked car and rolled over in Westminster early Thursday, January 15th. The 19-year-old driver was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence.
The crash occurred around 3:45 a.m. on the 13200 block of Hoover Street, near Garden Grove Boulevard and the 22 Freeway. According to authorities, Jazmin Loera, 19, of Garden Grove, was driving a pickup truck with four passengers in the bed of the truck when she struck a parked car. The force of the collision caused the truck to rollover, ejecting the passengers. The truck ended on its side in the middle of the road.
The four ejected passengers were taken to local hospitals in critical condition. They are all expected to survive. Loera was arrested at the scene. Hoover Street was closed near the accident for hours for investigation.
Authorities noted that carrying passengers in the bed of a truck has been illegal in California for many years.
