Man rescued after car goes down embankment is suspected of DUI

Police arrested a man on suspicion of drunk driving after he and a passenger had to be rescued when their car veered off the road and down a 50-foot embankment in Costa Mesa early Sunday, according to authorities.

The car was headed south on Canyon Drive just past Sea Bluff Drive near the northern edge of Canyon Park around 1 a.m. when it rolled over a curb and careened down into the park, according to police and fire officials.

More than a half-dozen fire vehicles and 25 firefighters responded to the scene, where they set up a rope system so they could climb down the embankment, according to the Costa Mesa Fire & Rescue Department.

After using the ropes to hoist up the driver and the passenger, both were taken to a hospital, according to fire officials. Police said both had moderate injuries, mostly scrapes and cuts.

Authorities identified the driver as Cecil Lytle, 26, of Phelan in San Bernardino County. He was arrested on suspicion of felony driving under the influence.

Lytle was booked into Orange County Jail with bail set at $100,000, according to Sheriff’s Department records.