Two dead in Santa Ana after wrong-way driver slams into oncoming traffic

Two people were killed when a high-speed, wrong-way driver slammed into oncoming traffic in Santa Ana on Monday afternoon, causing a multi-car crash that left several others hospitalized. 

It happened at around 6:40 p.m. in the 2200 block of S. Main Street, according to the Santa Ana Police Department. 

Investigators believe that one of the drivers, behind the wheel of a BMW, who has been identified as 29-year-old Jorge Delgado, was driving on the wrong side of the road at an extremely high rate of speed when they collided head-on with another vehicle, which was traveling southbound on Main. The innocent driver of the second vehicle has been identified by Santa Ana police as 32-year-old Leticia Alvarado.

Alvarado's car then spun out and crashed into at least two other vehicles, officers said.

Both Delgado and Alvarado, who were involved in the initial collision, died at the scene, police said.

Family members say that Alvarado was on her way home from her job as a senior paralegal at an Orange County law firm when Delgado crashed into her car head-on. 

"Lety was an amazing person. She was taken too soon from us and will be missed," her brother Erick Ruiz said in a statement. "She had a beautiful soul and was very giving, putting others before her. She always made it her goal to make people feel welcome and went above and beyond as a sister, spouse, and daughter."

Five other people were injured in the collision, each of which was taken to the hospital in stable condition with minor injuries, according to police. 

Witnesses say that the sound of the impact was unlike anything they'd heard before. 

"The sound of the accident was incredibly, it was really loud," said Edward Ibanez, who was inside of his nearby apartment when the crash happened. "

Initially, investigators believed that the grey sedan may have been street racing, but they have since determined that was not the case. They are working to determine if drunk or impaired driving was a factor. 

Santa Ana Police Public Information Officer Natalie Garcia said that surveillance footage from the area shows Delgado speeding as he drove down Main Street before Warner, where he could be seen swerving around other vehicles. 

"We are aware of a viral video of the incident, and we urge anyone else with confirmation to please contact the Santa Ana Police Department," said Officer Garcia. They can be reached at (714) 245-8665.

SkyCal flew over the scene of the crash at around 10 p.m., where dozens of officers could still be seen scouring the area. There was a large amount of debris strewn across the road, which was still closed.