Available 
Available 
SANTA ANA, Orange County, Calif., Oct. 13, 2026 — Three vehicles collided Monday afternoon, October 12, on westbound State Route 22 near Fairview Street, according to the California Highway Patrol.
The CHP said the crash involved a gray Lexus, a white semi truck and a white sedan. A call to the agency's traffic log described the reporting party as one of the involved drivers.
Units initially logged the incident as a collision with unknown injuries before the designation was updated to reflect a crash with an ambulance en route, CHP records show. All vehicles involved were reported stopped on the roadside westbound on SR-22 just west of Fairview Street.
Authorities requested a tow response and said medical personnel were dispatched.
The extent of any injuries has not been released, and the cause of the crash remains under investigation. We hope everyone who was hurt makes a speedy recovery.
Why a Highway Pile-Up Does More Damage Than a Low-Speed Fender Bender
Speed is the main reason a highway crash involving several vehicles turns into something bigger than a simple fender bender. At freeway speeds, the closing distance between vehicles shrinks in a fraction of a second, leaving little time for a following driver to brake once a vehicle ahead slows or stops. The faster the approach speed, the more energy has to be absorbed when metal finally meets metal.
Weight differences compound the problem. A loaded semi truck can weigh twenty times more than a passenger sedan, so when a large truck is part of a multi-vehicle crash, the smaller vehicles absorb most of the force. Vehicles are engineered with crumple zones at the front and rear designed to collapse and soak up energy, but that design only works within a certain range of speed and impact angle. When a second or third vehicle strikes a car that has already crumpled once, there is less structure left to do that job again.
Airbags and seatbelts are built around a single, predictable collision, not a sequence of hits from different directions. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 28,595 large-truck occupants were injured in multi-vehicle crashes involving large trucks in 2023. That figure reflects how often size and speed combine on highways to turn one collision into several.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do chain-reaction crashes happen?
They typically start with one vehicle slowing, stopping, or losing control, giving following drivers too little time or space to react before striking it or each other.
How can drivers avoid getting caught in a pile-up?
Keeping a longer following distance, scanning well ahead of the car directly in front, and easing off speed early when traffic shows signs of slowing all reduce the chance of being pulled into a chain-reaction crash.
What should I do if I'm stopped near a crash on the highway?
Stay in your vehicle with your seatbelt on if you're not in immediate danger, turn on hazard lights, and watch oncoming traffic closely rather than stepping out into active lanes.
How does fog or low visibility contribute to pile-ups?
Reduced visibility shortens the distance at which drivers can see trouble ahead, which means even normal following distances can become too short to stop safely in time.
What to Do After a Multi-Vehicle Crash in Santa Ana, CA
If you're involved in a multi-vehicle crash, move to a safe area if possible and check on others only if it's safe to do so. Call 911 and wait for law enforcement to document the scene, even if damage looks minor at first.
Get checked by a medical professional soon after, since some injuries from a multi-vehicle collision don't show symptoms right away. Keep a copy of the police report and any photos you took, and follow up with your insurance company promptly.
