1 Arrested, 7 Hospitalized In Laguna Beach Hit-And-Run

LAGUNA BEACH, CA – One person was arrested and several were hospitalized in a hit-and-run Tuesday in Laguna Beach.

After an investigation by Laguna Beach officers, Fullerton resident Rajvir Mann was arrested for various charges, including Felony hit-and-run, Laguna Beach Police Lt. Jason Farris said.

Just after 8:30 p.m. Tuesday, a Laguna Beach Police Officer was patrolling eastbound on Laguna Canyon Road at Canyon Acres when he observed a black Mercedes and a white BMW driving westbound at a high rate of speed.

“The officer activated his overhead emergency lights, made a U-turn, and attempted to catch up to the vehicles,” Farris said. “One of the speeding vehicles struck another uninvolved vehicle, causing it to cross over the center median, colliding head-on with other traffic.”

The suspect vehicles both fled the scene. Both eastbound lanes of traffic were blocked for over an hour.

“Laguna Beach Police personnel secured the scene and conducted a traffic collision investigation while Laguna Beach Fire personnel rendered aid to the injured passengers,” Farris said.

Four patients were taken by ambulance to a nearby trauma hospital, while three others were taken to a local hospital for minor injuries, according to Laguna Beach police.

The LBPD Major Crimes and Intelligence Team identified the Mercedes within hours of the collision using our citywide camera system, learning it was registered to an individual in Fullerton.

Fullerton Police Department assisted, checking the residence for the vehicle. They found the damaged vehicle at the registered owner’s address, according to police. The driver and registered owner, identified as Mann, was arrested for various charges, including Felony hit-and-run.

The investigation to identify the driver of the white BMW is ongoing.

Anyone with information regarding the collision is urged to contact Detective Tanner Flagstad at 949-497-0701.