Police: Woman's Car Swerved Into Opposing Lanes

A preliminary investigation into the Saturday accident on West Coast Highway near Riverside Avenue that killed three people found that a car driven by a Newport Beach woman swerved into opposing traffic, triggering the crash that ultimately involved 10 vehicles, Newport police said.

The crash claimed the lives of Julie Allen, a 27-year-old Newport Beach resident and Corona del Mar High graduate; Christopher De la Cruz, 49, of Laguna Niguel; and Linda Burnett, 69, of Santa Ana.

According to police, Allen was driving a Ford Taurus eastbound on West Coast Highway at an excessive rate of speed about 2:45 p.m. Saturday. The car crossed onto the other side of the road, hitting three vehicles before slamming into the passenger door of a Toyota Tacoma pickup occupied by driver De la Cruz and passenger Burnett.

The pickup was turning onto eastbound West Coast Highway from Riverside Avenue. The collision with the pickup sent Allen's car into the air. Upon landing, it hit several other cars and a motorcycle. Allen, De la Cruz and Burnett were pronounced dead at the scene.

Three other people were injured in the crash. One had critical injuries but was expected to recover, police said. Two others had minor injuries.

Allen had been a runner at Corona del Mar High. She transferred to the school in 2001, according to a Los Angeles Times report. She later was a runner at Stanford University.

"Julie was part of our family," Corona del Mar High cross-country coach Bill Sumner said in an e-mail. "She was the kind of kid who knew how to bring the sunshine indoors."

Sumner had recently coached Allen in the Cal Coast Track Club.

"I still don't want to believe this really happened," he said.

The investigation into the crash in ongoing.

Police ask anyone with information relating to the accident to call Investigator Bill Beverly at 949-644-3747.