18 Injured In Dramatic 405 Freeway Chain Reaction Crash

SEAL BEACH, CA —California Highway Patrol closed the northbound 405 at the 605 freeway after multiple vehicles collided Wednesday morning.

As many as 18 people were injured when four vehicles crashed, Orange County Fire Authority told Patch. Two were considered trauma patients and were taken to area hospitals by paramedics, and 16 more suffered minor injuries, OCFA Capt. Tony Bommarito reported.

The most serious injury was a broken arm, CHP Officer Duane Graham said.

The initial crash was between a Chevy Suburban and a Toyota Tundra was reported at 9:30 a.m. and a subsequent crash occurred between two vans, one of them a Ford F350, CHP reported.

One of the cars involved in the crash made an unsafe lane change, triggering the chain-reaction collision, Graham said

CHP called for a SIGAlert on the northbound for about an hour during cleanup and transfer of broken down vehicles from the roadway, they said. Lanes were open again by noon.

The traffic backup continued on the northbound 405 and the westbound 22 freeway over an hour later, according to reports.