Driver arrested after car crashes into house, killing man in bed

A motorist has been arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence after his car allegedly slammed into a Mission Viejo house Sunday morning, killing a man in bed.

“The vehicle basically went through the front exterior of the house just to the right of the front door,” where the victim’s bedroom was located, said sheriff’s Lt. Jeff Hallock. “It appears that alcohol and speed are factors in the collision.”

Authorities did not immediately identify the suspect or the victim.

Early Sunday, the driver’s late-model Cadillac sedan could be seen inside the house in the 26000 block of Pacato Drive. (An earlier sheriff’s report erroneously located the crash on nearby Carrillo Drive.)

Hallock said the house is at least 30 feet from the curb.

The one-story dwelling sits at a traffic elbow, where Pacato Drive and Olivera Drive meet at a right angle. A car that failed to make the right turn from Olivera onto Pacato would be pointing straight toward the victim’s residence.

Deputies were dispatched shortly after 3 a.m., said Lt. Jerry Carlsen of the Orange County Sheriff’s Department.

Another male resident, in a different part of the house, was not injured.

There also was an unidentified passenger in the vehicle, who was interviewed and released.

The house sustained major damage and officials were checking its structural integrity. There was also a gas leak at the residence.

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