3 hospitalized after car crashes into tree in front of Costa Mesa fire station

Nov. 9, 2015 7:47 AM PT

Police say they arrested a man suspected of drunk driving Monday morning after his car slammed into a tree in front of a Costa Mesa fire station, sending three people to a hospital.

A 30-year-old Santa Ana man was driving a Chrysler 300 at about 1:30 a.m. when it hopped a curb and crashed at 2300 Placentia Ave., Sgt. Matt Selinske said.

Paramedics arrived quickly and began helping four passengers in the Chrysler who suffered moderate injuries, Selinske said.

Crews took three passengers to trauma centers, and the fourth declined medical treatment, according to police.

The driver was not hurt. Police identified him as Jamie Gonzalez-Rodas and took him into custody on suspicion of felony DUI.

He is being held in Orange County Jail with bail set at $100,000, according to county Sheriff’s Department records.

“The tree kind of had minor damage, but the vehicle appears totaled,” Selinske said.

Jeremiah Dobruck

Jeremiah Dobruck was a public safety reporter for the Daily Pilot. He first came to the Pilot as an editorial intern in 2009. After a handful of other media-related jobs, he was hired full-time at the Pilot as a copy editor in 2012. He holds a bachelor’s in journalism from Cal State Fullerton. He left the Daily Pilot in 2016.