Parents Die, 3 Children Hurt In Newport Beach Suspected DUI Crash

NEWPORT BEACH, CA — A Santa Ana man and a woman were both killed Tuesday evening when their Nissan Versa—with three young children inside—and a Range Rover collided in Newport Beach.

According to Public Information Officer Heather Rangel of the Newport Beach Police Department, the crash occurred at about 7:45 p.m. in the area of Newport Coast Drive and Pelican Hill Road South. Though the crash remains under investigation, police say a Range Rover, driven by a suspected drunk driver, struck a Nissan Versa, which carried a man, age 27, a woman, age 28, and three children.

Grace Elizabeth Coleman of Newport Beach was booked on suspicion of murder, DUI causing bodily injury and hit-and-run resulting in death, according to Heather Rangel, a spokeswoman for the Newport Beach Police Department.

Read: DUI Murder Chargers Filed In Crash That Orphaned 3 Children

Under state law, a driver with a prior DUI conviction who is subsequently involved in a deadly DUI crash can be charged with second-degree murder, which carries a life sentence.

Henry Eduardo Saldana-Mejia, 27, of Santa Ana, and a 28-year-old woman were killed in the Tuesday night crash, according to Orange County Sheriff's Sgt. Dennis Breckner. The woman's name was being withheld as authorities worked to notify all of her family members, he said.

Though they are believed to be parents of the injured children, neither Breckner nor Rangel were able to confirm. All three juveniles are reportedly in critical condition and are 1, 3, and 5 years old, and were in the back seat at the time of the crash, according to Rangel. All were hospitalized in serious condition, Rangel said. Saldana-Mejia and the woman were already dead when officers arrived, according to Rangel.

According to reports from the scene, the family were all wearing pajamas and are believed to have taken their children to see Christmas lights in the area.

Coleman, the driver of that Range Rover, was also taken to the hospital.

Read: DUI Murder Chargers Filed In Crash That Orphaned 3 Children

UPDATE: Coleman was arrested on suspicion of a previous DUI in Laguna Beach in August, however, she has not yet been charged in that instance due to awaiting toxicology reports. Her suspected DUI has not yet been brought to the OCDA's office for review, according to the Orange County District Attorney's Office.