Man arrested after hit-and-run accident in Laguna Beach with seven injured

According to police officials, a suspect was arrested in connection with a traffic crash that closed the eastbound lanes of Laguna Canyon Road for at least an hour Wednesday evening.

An officer was patrolling eastbound on Laguna Canyon Road at the corner of Canyon Acres Drive when he noticed a black Mercedes and a white BMW speeding westbound, authorities said in a news release issued Thursday.

The officer turned on the hazard lights and tried to catch up with the two vehicles. One of the speeding cars collided with an uninvolved vehicle, which then crossed the median and collided head-on with the rest of the traffic.

Both of the suspect’s vehicles fled the scene, officials said.

Police cordoned off the area and firefighters administered first aid. Four people were taken to a trauma hospital and three others were taken to hospital with minor injuries.

The department later identified the Mercedes and learned that it was registered to a Fullerton resident.

Fullerton police officers found the damaged vehicle and arrested Rajvir Mann on “various” charges, including hit-and-run, the news release said.

Court and jail records do not indicate whether Mann is still in custody or when he was expected to be arraigned. However, court records show he has committed previous violations, including as recently as February of this year when he ran a red light. He was also previously found guilty by a jury of driving at an unsafe speed in an incident in October 2023.

Police are still searching for the driver of the white BMW. Anyone with information about the accident is asked to call (949) 497-0701.