Local News in Brief : Irvine : Costa Mesa Cyclist Dies in Freeway Crash
A 20-year-old Costa Mesa man was killed Monday when he lost control of his speeding motorcycle on the Santa Ana Freeway in Irvine and slid under the wheels of a trailer pulled by a dump truck, authorities said.
J. Michael Porterfield, who was merging from the Laguna Freeway to the southbound Santa Ana Freeway when the 6:50 a.m. accident occurred, was pronounced dead at the scene, California Highway Patrol spokesman Paul Caldwell said. Porterfield was wearing a helmet at the time of the accident.
The crash backed up early-morning, southbound commute traffic to Santa Ana for almost two hours, Caldwell said.
Truck driver Jeffrey A. Gout, 24, of Glendora veered in trying unsuccessfully to avoid the motorcyclist, then struck a tractor-trailer rig driven by Christopher W. Sandberg, 44, of Glendora, Caldwell said.
Neither truck driver was cited or injured in the accident, Caldwell said.
Sign up for Essential California
The most important California stories and recommendations in your inbox every morning.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
