By Sean Emery
The Orange County Register
PLACENTIA, Calif. — Three children were injured in a traffic accident Monday afternoon, including a boy who was trapped under a vehicle, authorities said.
Two children were in critical condition and a third suffered minor injuries when the driver of a Toyota Prius drove up a curb after colliding with another vehicle in the Valencia Avenue and Golden Avenue intersection about 2:30p.m., authorities said.
Police believe that four children were standing on the northeast corner of Golden and Valencia when a car drove onto the sidewalk, striking three of the children and trapping the fourth under the car, Placentia police Lt. Eric Point said.
Police say it appears a Toyota Sienna traveling southbound on Valencia made a left turn in front of the Prius, which was traveling northbound on Valencia. They believe the Sienna struck the Prius, which continued onto the sidewalk as the Sienna remained in the intersection.
Firefighters used airbags to the lift the car off a 12-year-old boy who was trapped and sent him to the trauma center at UCI Medical Center in Orange, authorities said.
A second 12-year-old was taken to Western Medical Center-Santa Ana, while a 7-year-old was taken to Placentia-Linda Hospital in Placentia, Point said.
The fourth child, an 11-year-old boy, was released to his parents, while the driver of the Prius, a 19-year-old woman, was taken to Western Medical Center, Point said.
The extent of the driver’s injuries weren’t immediately clear.
Police closed the intersection until 6 p.m. as they investigated the crash. No arrests were reported.
The driver of a Toyota Prius drove onto the curb after the car was hit by a Toyota Sienna, striking a group of children Monday afternoon, police say. The crash occurred at the intersection of Valencia and Golden avenues in Placentia.
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