Man Sought in Crash Believed to Be in Mexico
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SANTA ANA — Authorities identified a 23-year-old Wednesday evening as the suspected driver of a pickup truck that triggered the most deadly traffic accident in Orange County history, but police believe he may have fled to Mexico.
Santa Ana police said they are seeking Fernando Hernandez Flores, a friend of the truck’s owner. Flores reportedly fled on foot after the accident Sunday evening at Flower Street and Civic Center Drive in which eight people died and 11 were injured. All of the dead and most of the injured were passengers in a church van headed to evening services.
Police Lt. Bob Helton said investigators obtained an arrest warrant for Flores on suspicion of felony hit-and-run driving after they interviewed the truck’s owner, David Mendoza, on Wednesday.
About 3 p.m. Sunday, Mendoza loaned Flores his 1984 Chevrolet pickup truck to go on an errand. At about 6:30 p.m., Mendoza was contacted by Flores’ cousin who said that the Riverside man had been in a serious traffic accident.
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