Nine kids hurt in Dana Point van crash

(FOX 11/CNS) - A van crashed into a tree in Dana Point injuring nine children inside.

Five of the children were listed as "trauma" patients and were taken to Mission Hospital in Mission Viejo, said Orange County Fire Authority Capt. Tony Bommarito.

The other children sustained minor injuries and their parents took custody of them, signing an "against medical advice" form that suggested they should be taken to a hospital for a checkup, Bommarito said. The driver did the same, he added.

The children taken to Mission Hospital are between 9 and 12 years old, Bommarito said.

The crash happened just before 3:20 p.m. at Dana Point Harbor Drive and Cove Road in Dana Point, Bommarito said.

It was unclear what caused the crash. Photos from the scene showed the white van tangled with the tree, with a stack of surfboards that may have been atop the vehicle on the ground. The van also appeared to have been pulling a small trailer, which wound up overturned near the vehicle.

The Orange County Sheriff's Department is investigating the crash.