Two people were killed during a fiery crash that was caused by a driver driving on the wrong side of the road, according to a California Highway Patrol dispatcher.
The crash, which involved a motorcycle and a car, caused a temporary closure of all northbound lanes of the 5 Freeway just south of the 22 Freeway in Santa Ana, Thursday morning.
The driver of the car, a 2002 Jaguar, was reportedly driving in the wrong direction in the carpool lane of the freeway around 4 a.m., according to CHP.
Motorcyclist Hugo Juarez, identifed by the Orange County coroner, was a truck driver on his way to work when he was hit head on by the car.
The lane Juarez was traveling on was sectioned off by cement barriers, which made him unable to avoid the incoming Jaguar, according to CHP.
"This is probably one of the worst scenes I've been too," said one CHP officer.
CHP said the motorcyclist was doing everything right. He was wearing a helmet but that wasn't enough to save his life.
Juarez leaves behind a wife, a 15-year-old daughter and a 13-year-old son.
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The collision caused both the car and the motorcycle to catch on fire, according to CHP officers.
CHP said drivers should avoid using fast track or HOV lanes at night because that's where wrong way drivers tend to go.
Just before 7 a.m., three lanes were reopened, but traffic remained backed up for miles. The cause of the crash is under investigation.
If you would like to donate to a GoFundMe account set up for the Juarez family, you may do so here. Note that GoFundMe deducts 2.9 percent of all funds raised, plus 30 cents per donation, in the form of payment processing charges.
City News Service contributed to this report.
