Fountain Valley : ‘Jane Doe’ Dies After Mother Identifies Her

Sixteen-year-old Irene Torres, who had been designated as a “Jane Doe” since being struck by a car Jan. 9, was disconnected from life-support machines at Fountain Valley Regional Hospital early Saturday after her mother identified the Santa Ana girl.

Diana Torres identified her daughter through a newspaper report that appeared Friday, eight days after the teen-ager was struck by a car on a deserted street in Santa Ana across from Saddleback High School. The girl never regained consciousness after sustaining extensive head injuries, a broken left elbow and broken legs and ribs.

Robert Fayer, assistant director of the trauma unit, declared Torres “brain dead” at 10:17 a.m. Friday after a second flat brain scan. A final brain flow study was performed just before Torres was taken off the respirator.

Irene Torres was hit about 10:330 p.m. in the 3300 block of South Flower Street. She was standing in an outside lane when struck by a car driven by a 17-year-old girl after a first car swerved and missed her.