Man killed, girl critically injured in Lake Forest crash
Richard Ghabrial, 51, dies when his car veers out of control, crashes into a tree and catches fire early this morning. His 12-year-old passenger is in the hospital.
A 51-year-old man was killed and a 12-year-old girl critically injured early this morning when the car he was driving veered out of control, crashed into a tree and caught fire in Lake Forest, authorities said.
Richard Ghabrial, 51, was driving east on Lake Forest Drive about 12:30 a.m. when his late-1990s model Toyota Corolla swerved into a tree in the center median near Serrano Road and ignited, said Lt. Hal Brotheim of the Orange County Sheriff's Department.
The young passenger was taken to a hospital, where she remains in critical condition, Brotheim said.
Authorities could not confirm whether Ghabrial was wearing a seat belt, whether alcohol was involved in the crash or his approximate speed.
"In order to crunch a car like that, it had to be . . . a good rate of speed," Brotheim said. He could not confirm the relationship between Ghabrial and the girl with him.
susannah.rosenblatt@latimes.com
