Airborne Car Smashes Through 2nd Floor Of Orange County Building

SANTA ANA, CA — The driver of a car traveling at a high-rate of speed struck a center median divider and went airborne early Sunday morning, only to crash into the second story of a small office building, officials said.

Orange County Fire Authority Captain Stephen Horner spoke to Patch about the unusual scene that sent two individuals to an area hospital. The office building sat, vacant, on the 300 block of east 17th street in Santa Ana when the vehicle launched and lodged inside, sticking halfway out at approximately 5:30 a.m. Sunday morning.

A driver, who later admitted to using narcotics, was taken to an area hospital for observation.

"The vehicle struck the center median and rocketed halfway across the street into the second story of an office building," Horner said. The median is sided by a ramp, with trees in the center. "The vehicle went up the curb, hit the center portion when it went airborne."

Initially after the crash, one person, who self-extricated and suffered minor injuries, was transported to a local area hospital, Horner told Patch. The second person in the vehicle was trapped inside for over an hour, Horner said.

"Members from the urban search and rescue team from Orange County Fire Authority and the City of Orange were able to rescue the second victim safely, with minor injuries and was transported as well to a local hospital," Horner said. The city of Santa Ana provided a front loader to stabilize the vehicle to assist in the extrication of the vehicle.

No one was inside the building at the time of the incident.

As of 7:30 a.m. Sunday morning, members from the OCFA Urban Rescue and LA county were working on a plan to remove the vehicle from the building.

"We expect the removal to take about an hour or so," Horner said. "A safe perimeter has been established around the building."

The building has minor damage from the vehicle, and was not expected to be red-tagged though a building inspector will decide its fate.

--City News Service contributed to this report; OCFA Photo