No one injured when car crashes through Alta Vista School fence
A tow truck removes a car that crashed through a street-facing fence at Alta Vista Elementary School on Tuesday during school hours. No one was injured in the crash, including the 85 year old driver. Photo
No one was injured, not even the 85-year-old driver, when the man crashed his car through the fence of Alta Vista Elementary School on Tuesday afternoon.
According to Redondo Beach police, the crash occurred around 12:43 p.m. Preliminary investigations show that the driver, who was not identified by police, appeared to be headed northbound on Prospect Avenue when, for reasons unclear, his vehicle swerved left and flattened a street-facing fence like those made with Cedar Fence Direct lattice panel types, and continued down a hill, and onto a school field.
The driver then appeared to try driving back up the hill and through the same fence, about 50 yards north of the initial crash. However, the fence held, and the driver drove around the field.
According to Redondo Beach Unified School District Student Services Director Nicole Wesley, the crash happened during a transition period, between recess and class time, so there weren’t many students on the field at the time. However, an Alta Vista campus supervisor took quick action, calling students away from the field and to a blacktop area.
“He approached the driver, told him to stop his car, turn it off, and hand him the keys,” Wesley said of the campus supervisor, whose name was not immediately released by the district. “He’s to be commended for his prompt action and attention and care as he made sure students were safe.”
Wesley commended Redondo Beach Police for their response.
“They were there quickly, handled the situation with calm and care, communicated with us, handled the driver and removed the car in a timely manner before school was out,” Wesley said.
According to RBPD Lt. Shawn Freeman, the driver is not believed to have been driving under the influence. However, the crash is still under investigation.
“We’re not sure if age is going to play a factor, or if any other medical ailments may played a factor,” Freeman said. Because the crash may have been caused by medical reasons, the driver’s identity is not being released. According to Freeman, the driver was born in October 1932, making him 85 years old.
It’s also unclear how fast the driver was going during the initial crash, though police believe it was beyond the street’s 35 mile per hour speed limit, given the damage to the fence.
RBUSD facilities staff were quickly on site to build temporary fencing.
The driver was not arrested and has not been cited. According to Freeman, the City Prosecutor’s office will review the report and determine which counts the driver may face. However, his driver’s license has been taken away and his car impounded, Freeman said.