Laguna Beach RollOver

I was laying in bed when the phone rang. It was Stu, the editor of the Laguna Beach Independent. "Stu", I said, "what are you doing up so late?".

"It's only ten" he said... and then filled me in about the accident that he just heard on his scanner (a legal one that picks up the Fire dept calls).

I got dressed and got my gear and headed up the Coast Hwy. The road was closed at Crown Valley. I drove up to the officer and showed him my press pass... so he let me thru. Stu told me that the police have to let you through if you are with the press. Usually, I have no problem, since most of the police officers know me. I am a police volunteer with Laguna Beach PD. But this officer was with station 18, the Sheriffs dept, and he did not know me.

Anyway, I got up to the scene just as they were loading the injured driver into the ambulance.

From what I was told, the car was heading down the center of the road, passing everyone at an estimated 100 plus miles per hour and lost control. He hit a fire hydrant and sheared it off and then hit a retaining wall, missed a palm tree; knocked down a Fedex drop box, and flipped about 6 times across the north bound lanes, landing upside down. The driver had no seat belt on and no air back.

Amazing he lived (I have to guess he was drunk... since it seems drunks almost never get hurt... just the innocent people near them). Also amazing there was no on coming traffic or this would have been a major disaster!