Teens escape injury after SUV flips

Two teenagers escaped injury Thursday after their SUV flipped over in a collision in Costa Mesa, but the driver of the other car suffered minor injuries.

The accident took place a few minutes after 1 p.m. on 17th Street near Newport Boulevard.

Police said Taylor Loeffner, 19, of Newport Beach and Shannon McMenomy, 18, were in a white Ford Explorer trying to turn left from a side street and travel southbound on 17th Street.

Police said the pair thought the intersection was safe because two cars traveling northbound had stopped and were waving them through the intersection.

What they didn’t see was a Mercedes driven by Raymond Arida, 48, of Lake Forest, which was approaching in the far left lane.

As the Explorer pulled across the northbound lanes, the Mercedes collided with its driver side door, causing it to flip over.

The teenagers were able to exit the SUV with minor scrapes and bruises. Arida was treated at the scene for a broken nose, a broken finger and face lacerations.

Loeffner was held responsible for the accident and ticketed for failure to yield, Costa Mesa Police Lt. Dave Anderson said.

“He had a false sense of security,” he said. “Although the other drivers signaled him into the intersection, he is liable for the accident.”DON LEACH / DAILY PILOT The accident scene on 17th Street in Costa Mesa after a Ford SUV collided with a Mercedes. dpt.26-crash-BPhotoInfoPM1RBFJL20060526izue0dncDON LEACH / DAILY PILOT(LA)