HUNTINGTON BEACH — A young woman was fatally injured on June 1 in a crash involving a suspected drunk driver.
At approximately 8:35 p.m., the Huntington Beach Police Department received a report of a traffic collision on Goldenwest Street at Rio Vista Drive. The arriving officers discovered a vehicle had collided with a motorcycle in the intersection.
Initial investigation showed the black 2012 Harley Davidson motorcycle was traveling south on Goldenwest Street, when it collided with a blue 2010 Lexus sedan at Rio Vista Drive.
The Lexus had been traveling north on Goldenwest Street and was driven by Tadashi Mizutani, 68, from Huntington Beach. The motorcycle was driven by a 24-year-old male from Huntington Beach and had a 25-year-old female from Huntington Beach as a passenger.
The female passenger, later identified as Kelly Morehouse, sustained serious injuries and was treated on scene by Huntington Beach Fire Department paramedics. She was transported to UC Irvine Medical Center, where she was in critical condition before she died on June 2.
The driver of the motorcycle, Taylor Rolfson, suffered broken legs and was treated on scene by paramedics. He was also transported to a nearby hospital, where he was listed in stable condition.
Friends and family said that Morehouse and Rolfson were engaged and that Morehouse, who recently earned a master’s degree at Cal State Long Beach, was planning to work as a teacher’s assistant in the fall. Both of her parents taught at Huntington Beach High School.
Mizutani was uninjured in the collision and was later arrested for driving under the influence causing injury. He was booked into the Huntington Beach Jail and posted bail of $100,000 on June 2.
HBPD accident reconstruction officers responded to the collision scene and conducted the initial investigation. This is an ongoing investigation and police are seeking witnesses. Anyone who may have witnessed the collision is encouraged to contact Officer Barr at (714) 536-5666.