Man is seriously injured when pickup goes down embankment and hits tree off 73 Freeway

A man suffered major head injuries when the vehicle he was driving overturned down an embankment and crashed into a tree off the 73 Freeway early Friday in Costa Mesa, authorities said.

A Chevrolet Silverado pickup was traveling south on the transition from the 73 to the southbound 55 Freeway at about 3 a.m. when the driver made an unsafe turning motion and overcorrected, causing the truck to rotate clockwise, according to California Highway Patrol spokesman Paul Fox.

The left tires hit the curb, causing the truck to overturn down the dirt embankment, and the driver’s side hit a large tree, the CHP said.

The driver, who was not identified, was taken to Orange County Global Medical Center in Santa Ana to be treated for major head trauma. Alcohol was believed to be involved in the incident, the CHP said.

The transition road was closed for more than two hours while crews worked to extract the driver from the truck and remove it from the scene.

julia.sclafani@latimes.com