Hurt in a crash on Beach Boulevard in Midway City? Call (949) 989-2511 or text (949) 776-8964, 24/7, for a free consultation. Our team speaks Spanish; attorney Suzy Tafreshi speaks Farsi. People Not Just Cases.

Crash on Beach Blvd at Bolsa or McFadden? What to Do Next

Beach Boulevard is State Route 39, a state highway that runs from Pacific Coast Highway in Huntington Beach north through Westminster. In Midway City it meets two busy cross streets about half a mile apart: Bolsa Avenue to the north and McFadden Avenue to the south. Both intersections show up again and again in Orange County’s public collision data. This guide explains what that data shows, who takes the report, and what to do if you were hurt there.

What the County Collision Data Shows

Orange County Public Works publishes collision records for county roads. We reviewed 2021 through 2025 and counted crashes reported within 100 feet of each intersection.

Beach Blvd at McFadden Ave

  • 49 collisions and 28 people injured.
  • Rear-end and sideswipe crashes were tied as the most common type (16 each), followed by broadside crashes (11).
  • Unsafe speed was the most frequently cited cause (15 crashes).
  • 5 crashes involved pedestrians and 2 involved bicyclists.

Beach Blvd at Bolsa Ave

  • 28 collisions and 15 people injured.
  • More than half were rear-end crashes (15).
  • Unsafe speed was cited in nearly half (13).
  • 3 crashes involved pedestrians.

Both intersections together

  • 77 collisions and 43 people injured. No deaths were recorded within 100 feet.
  • 34 of the 77 happened in the dark, and 5 of the 8 pedestrian crashes happened in the dark.
  • Unsafe lane changes were cited in 10 crashes, and impaired driving in 5.
  • If you count every report that used one of these intersections as its reference point, including crashes several hundred feet away, the total rises to 117 collisions and 73 people injured. One crash in 2025 was fatal.
  • Yearly counts within 100 feet fell from 22 in 2021 to 9 in 2025. The most recent year may not be complete yet.

These numbers include only crashes that were reported and mapped in the county’s data. The data may not capture every crash, so treat the figures as a minimum.

Why These Two Intersections See So Many Crashes

The causes listed in the reports point to a few repeating patterns. Rear-end crashes and unsafe speed show up together, which usually means drivers approaching stopped traffic too fast to stop in time. Sideswipes and unsafe lane changes point to drivers moving across lanes in heavy traffic. Both roads are lined with businesses. Just outside the 100-foot zone, about 120 to 560 feet from Beach and McFadden, six more reports blamed drivers pulling out of private property such as a driveway. Pedestrian crashes happened mostly after dark.

Who Takes the Report: CHP or Westminster Police

This stretch is tricky because of Midway City’s borders. The California Highway Patrol’s Westminster Area office is responsible for Midway City’s unincorporated roadways. Over the years, though, the City of Westminster has annexed land along Beach Boulevard, so the frontage on either side can be county land or city land. Depending on exactly where the crash happened, the responding agency may be the CHP or the Westminster Police Department.

  • CHP reports: Request online through the CHP Crash Portal, or submit form CHP 190 in person or by mail. The fee is $10 for 1 to 25 pages, and any CHP office can help. CHP Westminster Area: 13200 Goldenwest Street, Westminster, CA 92683, (714) 622-3600.
  • Westminster Police reports: The department releases collision reports online through LexisNexis for a $10 convenience fee. Allow at least 10 days. Reports involving a death or an arrest aren’t released online. You can also go to the Records Unit in person, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., without the online fee.

The agency name on the card or form the officer gave you tells you where to ask.

What to Do After a Crash at Bolsa or McFadden

  1. Get medical care. Call 911 if anyone is hurt. The closest emergency rooms include UCI Health — Fountain Valley at 17100 Euclid St. and MemorialCare Orange Coast Medical Center at 18111 Brookhurst St.
  2. Note your exact spot. Which corner, which lane and which direction you were traveling. This determines which agency’s report you need, and possibly who owns the road.
  3. Photograph the signals and lanes. Turn arrows, lane markings and anything blocking the view can matter in a lane-change or left-turn dispute.
  4. Ask businesses for video quickly. Shops and lots along Beach Boulevard may have cameras, and many systems record over old footage.
  5. Report to the DMV if required. California requires an SR-1 report within 10 days when anyone was injured or killed or damage was over $1,000.
  6. Be careful with insurers. Read our tips on dealing with insurance adjusters before giving a recorded statement.

Fault in Rear-End, Lane-Change and Pedestrian Crashes

In a rear-end crash, the following driver is often found at fault, but not always. Sudden lane changes or a driver cutting in can shift some blame. California uses comparative negligence, so you can still recover if you were partly at fault, although your recovery is reduced by your share. If you were walking, see pedestrian right-of-way laws in California and our pedestrian accident lawyer page. If the other driver was impaired, read about drunk driver claims.

When the Road Itself May Be a Factor

Because Beach Boulevard is a state highway, a claim about signal timing, lighting or road design may involve Caltrans or another public agency. Those claims have a short deadline. A written claim usually must be presented within six months, compared with the general two-year deadline for injury lawsuits. Read more about road conditions and car accidents and the statute of limitations for car accidents in California. Injury lawsuits in Orange County are heard at the Central Justice Center in Santa Ana.

Beach Boulevard Crash FAQs

Is Beach and Bolsa in Midway City or Westminster?

It depends on the exact spot. Midway City’s borders are irregular here, and Westminster has annexed land along Beach Boulevard over the years. That’s why the report may come from either the CHP or Westminster Police.

The other driver says I stopped short. Am I still covered?

Possibly. Stopping for a light or for traffic is expected, and drivers must leave enough room to stop. Photos, video and witness statements can help show what happened.

I was hit crossing Beach at night. Does the lighting matter?

It can. Lighting, crosswalk markings and signal timing can all bear on fault, and they may point to a public agency as well as the driver. Because public-agency claims have a six-month deadline, it’s worth getting advice early.

Do I need to go to Santa Ana if my case goes to court?

Orange County Superior Court hears civil injury cases at the Central Justice Center, 700 Civic Center Drive West, Santa Ana. Many claims are resolved with the insurance company before a lawsuit is needed. If yours does go to court, we handle the filings.

Get Help After a Beach Boulevard Crash

Our Fountain Valley office at 18837 Brookhurst St, Ste 207, is about 4 miles from Midway City in a straight line. The consultation is free, we’re available 24/7, and hablamos español.

Call (949) 989-2511 · Text (949) 776-8964

More local help: Midway City personal injury lawyer · Fountain Valley personal injury lawyer · Orange County car accident lawyer · All locations

Attorney Advertising. This page is for general information only and is not legal advice. Reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship. Every case is different, and prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.

Sources

  1. Orange County Public Works, collision data layer “Collisions with Vehicle Codes” (queried Oct 16, 2026; 2021–2025; Beach Blvd/SR-39 at Bolsa Ave and McFadden Ave)
  2. Orange County Public Works open data portal
  3. Wikipedia, “California State Route 39” (Beach Boulevard route and state maintenance)
  4. Wikipedia, “Midway City, California” (annexation along Beach Boulevard)
  5. California Highway Patrol, (670) Westminster Area office
  6. California Highway Patrol, Request a Crash Report
  7. California Highway Patrol, Collision Report CHP 190 (fees)
  8. City of Westminster Police, Request for Collision Records
  9. California DMV, Report of Traffic Accident Occurring in California (SR-1)
  10. UCI Health — Fountain Valley Emergency Department
  11. MemorialCare Orange Coast Medical Center
  12. Orange County Superior Court, How to Start a Civil Case (court designation list)
  13. California Code of Civil Procedure section 335.1 (two-year deadline)
  14. California Government Code section 911.2 (six-month claim deadline)