Boy, 6, injured in crash

A 6-year-old Costa Mesa boy is in critical condition with major head injuries and a Newport Beach man was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence after a three-car traffic accident Tuesday evening on the 55 Freeway.

The boy was one of four children and three adults northbound on the 55, south of Baker Street, in a 2000 Mazda 626 about 6 p.m. Tuesday when a 1987 Mercedes Benz driven by Jose Sobrino, 79, of Perris, slowed down in front of the Mazda, according to a CHP accident report.

The driver of the Mazda, Jennifer Pace, 25, of Costa Mesa, applied her brakes and steered toward the center divider to avoid hitting the other car, according to the report.

A 1979 Volkswagen van traveling behind the Mazda did not stop in time and crashed into the rear of the Mazda, then into the Mercedes, before flipping over, according to the report. The driver of the Volkswagen, Morgan T. Webster, 34, of Newport Beach, was treated for injuries at Wester Medical Center in Santa Ana before law enforcement authorities arrested him on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol. Webster’s passenger, Danny Jackson, 26, of Costa Mesa also was taken to Western Medical Center with moderate injuries.

The other two adults and three children riding in the Mazda, ages 6, 7, and 8 were treated for minor injuries.

Neither the driver of the Mazda or the Mercedes were harmed in the accident, according to the report.

BRIANNA BAILEY may be reached at (714) 966-4625 or at [email protected].