Woman's Arm Severed in DUI Scooter Crash in Carlsbad: Reports

Carlsbad, CA — A young woman's arm was reportedly severed early Wednesday in Carlsbad when she lost control of the mobility scooter she was driving — possibly due to drunken driving.

Carlsbad police say the 19-year-old crashed into a traffic control sign just after 3:45 a.m. on Cannon Road east of Hemingway Drive.

A Carlsbad police officer arrived at the scene of wreck shortly after it happened, and found that the woman had "suffered significant injuries to the left side of her body," according to a police statement.

More officers soon arrived to help provide medical aid to the woman. They placed a tourniquet on her to control her bleeding until the Carlsbad Fire Department arrived to further care for her, according to the statement.

Paramedics arrived and took the woman to Scripps Hospital Memorial Hospital in La Jolla, but she was transferred to UCSD Medical Center for further treatment.

Carlsbad police traffic investigators believe alcohol was a factor in the collision.

"Another motorist who witnessed the collision stated the female was unable to negotiate the turn in the road due to her speed which caused her to collide with the center median and ultimately strike the traffic control sign," police said in the statement.

While several news reports indicate the woman's arm was severed, Carlsbad police Spokeswoman Jodee Sasway could not confirm the exact nature of the victim's injuries.

"The California Records Act discourages us from talking specifically about a persons medical condition," Sasway told Patch. "What we can say is that she had seriously injuries to the left side of her body."

The scooter was manufactured by Zen, according to Sasway.

(Image via Shutterstock)