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

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. 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. 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. 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. 4

   Ask businesses for video quickly. Shops and lots along Beach Boulevard may have cameras, and many systems record over old footage.

5. 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. 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