Driver of Stolen Car Causes 8-Auto Crash at Red Light, Dies
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A 21-year-old Fullerton man died Wednesday morning after he crashed a stolen 1991 Acura into the rear of a car stopped at a red light, sparking an eight-car collision in Huntington Beach.
Derrick John Swanson suffered massive chest injuries and was taken to UCI Medical Center in Orange, where he was pronounced dead.
Huntington Beach Police Lt. Chuck Thomas said Swanson was driving on Bolsa Chica Street about 7:30 a.m. when he rear-ended a 1987 Volkswagen Jetta stopped at a red light at Bolsa Chica and Edinger Avenue.
The crashed pushed the Jetta into the car ahead of it, and a chain-collision reaction damaged six additional vehicles, Thomas said.
The driver of the Jetta, Byron Michael Vanslovis, 39, of Hawthorne, suffered chest and head injuries and also was taken to UCI. He was listed in stable condition, Thomas said.
Police said the Acura was reported stolen from Fullerton earlier that morning, but they did not know Wednesday whether Swanson was involved in the theft. They are continuing to investigate.
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