Occupant of car in off-road slide transported to hospital

The driver of a Range Rover was rescued by the Orange County Fire Authority and the Newport Beach Fire Department Tuesday morning after the vehicle veered off the side of San Joaquin Hills Road.

City spokesman John Pope said that the first calls about the incident came in at around 9:15 a.m. Fire crews arrived shortly thereafter and found a vehicle about 150 to 175 feet down the embankment adjacent to the street. Firefighters were provided assistance by the Orange County Fire Authority, including a helicopter that was used to extricate the driver, who was the lone occupant of the vehicle.

The driver was airlifted to a local trauma center.

Pope said the incident is still under investigation.

Newport Beach resident Natasha Beavin said she was dog-sitting at a home in Spyglass Hill that overlooked the road when the incident happened.

“I heard police cars and saw two firetrucks about 9:45 a.m. At first, I thought it was a hiker [who had been injured] but I had no idea it was a car that went over the side of the road,” Beavin said.

Pope said nine units total between the two agencies responded.