Laguna Beach : Unlicensed Driver Loses Control of Car, Crashes

A car driven by a 17-year-old South Laguna girl with no driver license struck two other cars and then crashed through a garage door on Temple Hills Drive on Thursday, police said.

The girl, whose name was not released, told officers that her car’s engine died while she was driving down Temple Hills Drive about 1 p.m. She went over the center stripe, sideswiped a Mercedes coming the other way, then hit a Renault LeCar parked in a driveway, sending both her car and the Renault through the garage door, Police Officer Robert Van Gorder said. Another car and a motorcycle parked inside the garage were slightly damaged.

Jean Manoff, 51, was inside the house with her daughter and grandson when the accident occurred. “I heard what sounded like an explosion, and then the house shook,” she said. “The poor kids were real shook up. They kept saying, ‘I’m sorry, I’m sorry.’ ”

The teen-ager and two 10-year-old passengers suffered minor injuries and were taken to South Coast Medical Center, where they were treated and released. The driver of the Mercedes was not hurt.

Van Gorder said the girl will be charged with driving without a license and driving an unsafe vehicle. The car’s tires and brakes were badly worn, he said.