Crash Injures Cyclist, Closes Freeway Lanes

Southbound lanes of the San Diego Freeway in Seal Beach and Westminster were closed for nearly half an hour Thursday evening to allow a Life Flight helicopter to land and airlift an injured motorcyclist to an Anaheim hospital.

The 26-year-old Mission Viejo man, whose identity was not available late Thursday, was injured in a 5:11 p.m. accident, according to the California Highway Patrol. The man, who was riding a motorcycle in the southbound carpool lane, veered into the right-hand lanes, where he collided with a car, CHP Officer Mark Reeves said.

The man was thrown from his motorcycle and knocked unconscious in the slow lane of the freeway, just south of the Garden Grove Freeway connector. He was taken to Western Medical Center-Anaheim for treatment of a concussion and a broken right leg, Reeves said.

Traffic backed up as far north as Long Beach while the CHP closed all lanes of the southbound San Diego Freeway about 5:45 p.m. so the helicopter could land. Motorists were diverted to the westbound Garden Grove Freeway, Reeves said.

Lanes were reopened by 6:10 p.m., and the accident scene cleared half an hour later.