A single-vehicle crash on Telephone Road in Ventura late Saturday morning required firefighters to pull the 19 year-old driver from the severely damaged car, officials said.
The accident was reported around 11:40 a.m. near the intersection with Lark Avenue, near the Ventura County Government Center.
Ventura Fire Department personnel responded within minutes and found the driver trapped in the wreckage. Firefighters performed “extensive extrication” to pull the victim from the vehicle, fire officials said.
He was transported by ambulance to Ventura County Medical Center in critical condition. As of Monday it was reported the driver is recovering. said Ventura Police Department Cmdr. Mike Brown.
Witnesses told police the driver had been traveling at high speeds. He reportedly ran a red light and sheared a light pole, Brown said. The young man’s city of residence was not immediately available.
No one else was in the car, officials said.
Photos released by the fire department show the wrecked vehicle near the sidewalk by a lawn outside Grace Lutheran Church.