Driver crashes into light pole, fire hydrant on West Coast Highway

A driver is suspected of being under the influence of drugs when he hit a light pole, veered into a center median and then sheared off a fire hydrant in Newport Beach on Tuesday morning, police said.

The man’s car came to rest against a brick wall after the single-vehicle crash shortly before 7:15 a.m. on West Coast Highway just east of Superior Avenue, according to authorities.

The driver and a female passenger were injured, but not seriously, in the crash, Newport Beach police spokeswoman Jennifer Manzella said. Emergency crews took both of them to local hospitals to be evaluated.

Eastbound lanes of West Coast Highway were closed for about an hour after the crash, according to police.

— Jeremiah Dobruck

Twitter: @jeremiahdobruck