CHP Officers Rescue Newborn, Toddler and Mother from Burning Wreckage

Two California Highway Patrol officers pulled three victims -- including a newborn and a 2-year-old boy -- from an SUV moments before it erupted in flames today.

The 2001 Chevrolet Tahoe slammed into a tree on the northbound Costa Mesa (55) Freeway offramp to 17th Street about 3:50 this morning, ejecting 22- year-old Leonardo Morales, who is suspected of driving under the influence, according to CHP Officer Florentino Olivera.

Two CHP officers patrolling the area saw flames at the scene of the crash but were too far down the offramp to respond to the emergency, so they called it in to dispatchers, Olivera said.

Because of their quick response, he said, two other officers were able to get to the victims before it was too late.

When CHP Officers Daryl Hansen and Timothy Montoya got to the scene of the fiery crash, they saw Morales lying on the ground, the toddler dashing around in a state of panic and 22-year-old Kathy De Rosa stuck in the front passenger seat, Olivera said.

“The 2-year-old was running around and crying and pointing at the car,” he said.

As the two officers were working to pull De Rosa out, Montoya heard a baby crying in the back seat. The 9-month-old girl was face-down, bloodied, on the floorboard of the rear driver’s side seat, Olivera said.

“By then the car was fully engulfed” in flames, he said.

Montoya quickly snatched the newborn and ran her to safety, Olivera said. The two officers also managed to get De Rosa out safely, as well.

Montoya has a daughter about the same age, “so it hit home,” Olivera said.

The two adults were taken to Western Medical Center in Santa Ana and the two children were taken to Children’s Hospital Orange County, Olivera said.

Morales was badly injured, Olivera said. He is expected to be booked on suspicion of driving under the influence when he is released from hospital care, the officer said.

The extent of the injuries to De Rosa and the two children was not immediately clear.

It appears Morales lost control of the vehicle while trying to negotiate a right curve in the off-ramp and slammed into a tree, Olivera said.

OTHER PATCH HEADLINES

Firefighters Rescue Duck Family Trapped in Storm Drain

Shark Sightings Shut Down San Clemente Beach

OC Leads State in Record Year for Human Cases of West Nile Virus

1 Dead in Fiery Crash in Fountain Valley

Preemie Grows Up to Save the Life of the Doctor Who Saved Him

• City News Service
• Photo Credit: Screengrab from the SkyNews YouTube channel.

• Get Patched in! Sign up for free news alerts for your town.

  ALISO VIEJO | FOUNTAIN VALLEY | LAGUNA BEACH | LAGUNA NIGUEL-DANA POINT |LAKE FOREST | LOS ALAMITOS-SEAL BEACH | MISSION VIEJO| NEWPORT BEACH-CORONA DEL MAR | RANCHO SANTA MARGARITA | SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO | SAN CLEMENTE