One Death Too Many at La Sierra and Marguerite
On September 20, 2002, Orange County Sheriff’s Department motorcycle officer Sgt. Matthew Davis was heading southbound on Marguerite Parkway when an eastbound motorist on La Sierra Drive pulled in front of him while making a left turn. The resulting collision sent Davis flying 20 feet through the air into a traffic sign.
He died from his injuries two days later.
Sgt. Davis’s death was a tragedy that highlighted long-standing safety concerns at the intersection of Marguerite and La Sierra, next to the busy Sierra Recreation & Fitness Center.
Now, more than two decades later, Mission Viejo is making an important safety improvement at the intersection.
City Council Approves Left-Turn Acceleration Lane
Residents have complained to city officials about poor visibility at the intersection for years.
Drivers on southbound Marguerite often can't see vehicles making the right turn from La Sierra in time to slow down or change lanes. Making a left onto northbound Marguerite from La Sierra requires negotiating four lanes of 45-mph traffic.
The City began to formally consider traffic-control options for the intersection at a January 31, 2025, Traffic Committee meeting. On April 14, the Planning and Transportation Commission recommended the installation of a left-turn acceleration lane from La Sierra onto Marguerite. The City Council approved the work on May 26, 2026, and construction is scheduled to begin this fall.
District 3 City Council member Cynthia Vasquez has been a long-time advocate of the acceleration lane. “It’s good to see the City Council come together on such an important project,” she said. “The addition of the acceleration lane is City money well spent.”
