Driver Dies When Ferrari Crashes, Splits in Half
A Ferrari is demolished in a crash in Newport Beach, one killed, one injured.
By ROBERT HENRY and JONATHAN LLOYD
Updated 5:40 PM PST, Wed, Mar 11, 2009
To view this video you must to have Flash Player 8.0 or later installed. Click to download the most recent version of Flash.
NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. -- A man was killed and a woman was injured early Wednesday when a speeding red Ferrari crashed into a light pole in Newport Beach, and the driver of a white Porsche was arrested as police investigate whether a street race led to the wreck.
The deceased was identified as TapouT clothing line owner Charles Lewis Jr., according to TMZ.com.
The crash on southbound Jamboree Road near Camelback Street occurred just before 1 a.m., according to Newport Beach Police Lt. Craig Fox.
An officer in a patrol car was going north on Jamboree when he noticed two vehicles, a 2004 Ferrari Modena and a 1977 white Porsche coupe, swerving out of control, Fox said.
"Apparently they had collided and this was the aftermath of the collision," Fox said.
The Ferrari hit a light pole, knocking it over, while the impact of the crash broke the car in half and left the front portion of the high-performance Italian sports car crushed by the light pole.
Fox said the wreckage was such that "we don't know if he was the driver."
"It was a very violent crash," Fox said.
A woman thrown from the car was taken to Western Medical Center in Santa Ana suffering from broken bones, including a broken arm, Fox said.
"He apparently lost control of the vehicle, hit the curb and a light pole," said Lt. Steve Shulman. "It broke up in several pieces."
The driver of the Porsche did not stop and drove away, but another officer spotted the vehicle on Bison Avenue, west of Jamboree, Fox said. A man and woman who were walking away were arrested, he said.
Jeffrey David Kirby, 51, of Costa Mesa, was booked on suspicion of gross vehicular manslaughter with DUI. Lynn Marie Nabozny, 32, of Newport Beach, was arrested on suspicion of public intoxication but was later released, Fox said.
Kirby was being held in lieu of $1 million bail, he said.
Skid marks at the scene indicate the cars were traveling at a high rate of speed, the lieutenant said.
The name of the woman in the Ferrari was not immediately available, and the man's name will be released after family members are notified, Fox said.
First Published: Mar 11, 2009 5:14 AM PST
You Might Like
You have 2000 characters left
