Driver Stricken; Passenger Killed
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PLACENTIA — A 72-year-old Placentia woman apparently suffered a heart attack or a stroke at the wheel and crashed the car, killing her passenger.
The driver, 72-year-old Juanita Dorce, was listed in serious condition at UCI Medical Center late Thursday, while the passenger, 75-year-old Louise Rockwell, died at Placentia-Linda Hospital, according to Placentia police.
Around 10:20 a.m., a stricken Dorce hit another car near Orangethorpe Avenue and Miller Street in Anaheim, according to Capt. Chuck Babcock.
Moments later, Dorce swiped a second car on Orangethorpe Avenue, west of Chapman Avenue, police said. Witnesses told police Dorce’s car was traveling between 70 and 90 mph.
At Orangethorpe and Rose Drive, the car struck a curb, flew about seven feet, severed a high-voltage electrical pole, and landed on a railroad crossing arm, police said. The car was so badly damaged that rescue workers had to remove the two women through the windshield, police said.
The accident closed portions of Orangethorpe for most of Thursday and delayed trains through midday, police said.
Police, who reported no other injuries, are still investigating the cause of the accident.
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