Car crash survivor says it was fate

Sue Doyle

COSTA MESA -- One survivor of a car crash on the northbound San Diego

Freeway that killed two people last weekend said Monday he believes it

was fate that he’s still alive.

Vue Xiong, 30, of Fresno, is recovering at the UCI Medical Center in

Orange. He has a broken leg but said his condition could be worse.

His two friends, Nua Yang, 22, of St. Paul, Minn.; and Meng Ly, 29, of

Fresno, died at the scene.

“I think it was their time to go, and it’s not mine,” Xiong said.

The driver, Cha Xiong, 19, of Fresno, was taken to the Western Medical

Center in Santa Ana and treated for minor injuries.

Cha Xiong, no relation to Vue Xiong, was not available for comment.

The day had started out as fun for the men, who were showing Yang, their

out-of-town friend, some popular sites around the state and across the

border. Xiong said he can’t believe how the day ended.

The group was returning from a visit to Tijuana about 1:30 a.m. Sunday in

a 1992 Honda Civic. A white car suddenly swerved into their lane. Cha

Xiong slammed on the brakes to avoid a collision, but the Honda went out

of control and smashed into a guardrail near the Harbor Boulevard exit.

The white car sped away and never returned to the scene, police said.

The car with the four friends in it split in half in the impact,

separating the driver from the three men.

Xiong said Yang and Ly were thrown on top of him. He remained underneath

his two deceased friends until authorities pulled them out of the car.

Xiong recalled that someone yelled to him to check for a pulse on his

friends. He squeezed out from his seat belt but couldn’t feel a pulse on

either man.

Authorities are looking for information regarding the accident. They are

especially interested in talking to the driver of the white car.

Anyone with information is asked to call the California Highway Patrol at

(949) 223-5483 or (714) 567-6000.