Crash Kills Driver, Badly Injures Passenger

GARDEN GROVE — A 21-year-old man was killed and his passenger critically injured when the car he was driving swerved out of control at high speed and struck a lamppost, police said.

The driver, Fransico Carreo of Garden Grove, was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident, which occurred at 11:42 p.m. Friday, said Sgt. Joe Johnson of the Garden Grove Police Department. The passenger, Sandra Arias, 23, of Santa Ana, was severely injured and taken to UCI Medical Center where she was in critical condition Saturday, Johnson said.

Witnesses told police Carreo was driving a Datsun 280Z southbound in the 13000 block of Harbor Boulevard, just south of Garden Grove Boulevard, when he lost control, hit a center divider and slammed into a cement lamppost, Johnson said.

The accident is under investigation. No other vehicles were involved.