Rescue workers free passenger trapped after vehicle flips

Firefighters had to cut into a car to rescue a trapped passenger after the vehicle flipped over in Irvine on Monday night, according to authorities.

The driver ran off Shady Canyon Drive near Cloverfield and overturned around 11 p.m., Irvine police spokeswoman Farrah Emami said.

He was able to get out of the car under his own power, according to authorities, but firefighters had to remove pieces of the vehicle to extract the female passenger.

She was taken to Western Medical Center in Santa Ana in critical condition, according to the Orange County Fire Authority.

The driver was taken to a local hospital with minor injuries, police said.

Investigators are working to determine what caused the crash, Emami said.

— Jeremiah Dobruck

Twitter: @jeremiahdobruck