SAN DIEGO (CBS 8) – A motorist crashed his car out of a parking structure near Sharp Hospital Wednesday, leaving the sedan suspended over a stairwell between two buildings with him trapped inside.
The accident in the 7900 block of Frost Street occurred about 9:45 a.m., according to the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department.
Fire crews say the driver was leaving the parking garage on the first floor, lost control of his car, crashed through a barrier and ended up wedged in between two structures.
Emergency crews had to stabilize the vehicle before they could rescue the driver, a process that took about 40 minutes, a dispatcher said. The driver, a man reportedly in his 60s, was not seriously injured. He was taken to Sharp Memorial Hospital for treatment.
"Given the fact that he jumped about 20-25 feet and didn't go down and struck the building, it's apparent it was a pretty good rate of speed to be able to do that, which was probably lucky because he could have sustained some really serious injuries," San Diego Fire-Rescue Department spokesman Maurice Luque said.
No other injuries were reported.
A tow truck removed the vehicle early Wednesday afternoon. An inspection revealed structural damages to the building. Appointments at the clinic were moved or canceled.
Damages were estimated at about $15,000.
