Buena Park Couple Die From Injuries in Head-on Crash

WESTMINSTER — A Buena Park couple was killed Friday morning when their car careened down the wrong side of the road and crashed head-on into another car.

The driver of the other car sustained serious injuries. Both of her legs were broken, police said.

The coroner’s office Friday night identified the dead victims as Dung Van Bui, 72, and his wife, Luu Tai Pham, both 71. The injured driver was identified as Laura H. Loiselle, 21, of Long Beach.

The collision occurred about 9:15 a.m. when the couple’s small Honda, traveling south on Beach Boulevard between the Garden Grove Freeway overpass and Trask Avenue, apparently ran up the median. It then crossed over the median and headed south into the northbound lanes, colliding with a pickup truck. The Honda continued south and crashed into Loiselle’s car, also a small Honda, Westminster police Detective Al Brackett said.

Neither the couple nor Loiselle were wearing a seat belt, he said. The truck driver, whom police did not identify, was not injured.

Bui was trapped behind the wheel. Firefighters worked about 10 minutes before they could remove him from the car, Westminster Fire Capt. Craig Campbell said.

The elderly couple twere airlifted to UCI Medical Center in Orange. The man suffered severe head injuries and died upon arrival at the hospital. The woman suffered abdominal injuries and died during surgery, police said.

Loiselle was taken to Western Medical Center-Santa Ana where she remained in serious condition after undergoing surgery to both legs, Campbell said.

Beach Boulevard was temporarily closed in both directions to allow a helicopter to take the couple to the hospital.

Authorities were still investigating the cause of the crash.