Crime & Safety
UPDATE: Crash Kills 18-Year-Old
Taylor Sams of Rancho Santa Margarita, a recent Mission Viejo High grad, was riding in a pickup on the 241. Unofficial memorial held Sunday night.
An 18-year-old woman died early Sunday after the pickup truck she was riding in flipped over on the 241 toll road in Lake Forest, the Orange County Coroner's Office said.
Taylor Jordan Sams of Rancho Santa Margarita was pronounced dead at the scene, according to City News Service.
According to a Facebook tribute page for Sams, a makeshift memorial vigil will be held at 8 p.m. Sunday at the corner of Avenida de los Fundadores and Santa Margarita Parkway.
Find out what's happening in Rancho Santa Margaritawith free, real-time updates from Patch.
The accident occurred on the southbound side of the highway, south of Portola Parkway, around 1:12 a.m., according to the California Highway Patrol.
Find out what's happening in Rancho Santa Margaritawith free, real-time updates from Patch.
The CHP said the 2000 Toyota Tacoma truck drifted to the right and hit a raised asphalt berm, then veered left into the center median, where its tires caught in the soft soil, causing the vehicle to flip onto its roof.
The driver, whose name and condition haven't been released, was taken to Mission Hospital in Mission Viejo.
A CHP dispatcher said neither drugs nor alcohol appeared to be a factor in the crash.
A June 2011 Mission Viejo High School newsletter lists Taylor Sams as a college-bound senior. No other information was available.
Did you know Taylor? Share your thoughts in the comments section.
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.
