Injured driver is flown off hillside after crash in Laguna Beach

A 21-year-old man was seriously injured early Thursday when his vehicle went off the road and 25 to 40 yards down a hillside in Laguna Beach.

Police officers responded to the scene near Park and Tahiti avenues at 1:16 a.m. and scrambled down the hill. They found the driver, who had been ejected from his Ford Fiesta.

Witnesses told police they recalled seeing the car speeding on Park Avenue, but the cause of the crash is still under investigation, police Sgt. George Ramos said Friday.

An Orange County Fire Authority helicopter hovered over the crash site for about 30 minutes until the crew was able to hoist the driver up. He was taken to Mission Hospital in Mission Viejo.

Daniel Langhorne is a contributor to Times Community News.