Updated: Unlikely Death of Crash Victim Prompts Autopsy

An autopsy was pending today in the death of an 88-year-old Mission Viejo woman injured in a collision in Laguna Niguel Friday, an Orange County sheriff's lieutenant said today.

Clarice Jordan was involved in a four-vehicle collision at Crown Valley Parkway and Greenfield Drive, suffering a broken arm, about 12:20 p.m. and taken to Mission Hospital Regional Medical Center, where she was declared dead about 5:20 p.m., according to Orange County sheriff's Lt. Steve Gil.

Because Jordan died, traffic investigators will start a "deeper investigation'' on Monday, he said.

"We had no reason to believe it would end the way it did,'' Gil said.

No information was made available about the circumstances of the collision or who may have been at fault.

"I was one of the people caught in this traffic jam immediately after the accident happened and was trapped there for 35 minutes before any traffic could move," said Laguna Niguel resident Shirley Dickter. "Traffic was a nightmare. I didn't get upset until all the people started using the emergency lane to barge in front of whoever they possibly could."

She added that it was a terrible accident and that there was also a non-injury accident at the same time at nearby Cabot and Crown Valley Parkway by

"Then to top if off, someone called right after the accidents to report the welders in front of Costco were welding without glasses on, and she was afraid they would harm their eyes," Dickter said. "I swear law enforcement gets more than their share of humor every day."

--City News Service