COSTA MESA, CALIFORNIA – A tow truck driver lost his left leg Monday morning when he was struck by a sedan in Costa Mesa, authorities said.
The first emergency call to the California Highway Patrol came in at 2:30 a.m. Monday about a two-door sedan that had crashed into the right side wall on the northbound 55 Freeway, also known as the Costa Mesa Freeway, south of the 405 Freeway.
According to the call, a passenger was reported on the ground with an injured arm.
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A black sedan involved in the crash was reportedly traveling at a high rate of speed when it collided with the driver of a tow truck who had just exited his vehicle, causing him to sustain serious injuries and lose his left leg, CHP said.
CHP Officer Sergio Rivera told Patch that the tow truck driver was assisting a stalled vehicle when he was struck. It wasn’t immediately clear if the two-door sedan involved in the original call was the same sedan that struck the tow truck driver, Rivera said.
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At 3:09 a.m., a SigAlert was issued for the northbound Costa Mesa Freeway just south of the San Diego Freeway, the interchange from the northbound 55 to the northbound 405, and the Paularino Avenue ramp. The ramp was reopened at 5:22 a.m.
It is believed that alcohol contributed to the accident, Rivera said.
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