Driver Injured Seriously After Gas Pedal Jams
A Michigan man was reported in serious but stable condition Saturday at Western Medical Center in Santa Ana after suffering a broken neck and back in an accident Friday night at a 405 Freeway off-ramp in Irvine.
Robert Ginnis, 21, of South Field, Mich., lost control of his 1970 Dodge Dart when the accelerator jammed as he was driving north on the freeway about 8 p.m., Irvine police said.
According to police Sgt. Mike Ogden, Ginnis drove off the freeway, ran a red light and struck a curb. The car then crossed Culver Drive, where it struck another moving car and plunged into a drainage ditch, coming to rest at the block wall next to the freeway ramp.
The second car, a 1983 Ford Fairmont, was driven by David Silva, 35, of Irvine. He was not injured.
Firefighters spent more than an hour removing Ginnis from the wreckage. He was airlifted to the medical center and admitted into intensive care.
Ogden said a passenger in Ginnis’ car, Lawrence Bottinick, 21, of Rockville, Md., was treated at Fountain Valley Community Hospital for a cut on his head, but was not hospitalized.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
