A motorist escaped with non-life threatening injuries when his all-electric Tesla left the roadway in Lake Forest and crashed into a home, igniting a garage fire that left the residence red-tagged, a fire department captain said Saturday.
"The Tesla was coming down the hill, the driver came off the road, went through some vegetation, snapped a tree off -- and the vehicle goes across the street and into the garage," said Capt. Alan Wilkes of the Orange County Fire Authority. "Not sure if the garage door was closed or open -- and hits a BMW."
Firefighters dispatched at 6:17 p.m. Friday to the 21200 block of Countryside Drive had the fire under control in about an hour, Wilkes said.
"The problem was that the vehicle was burning in the garage. It was a challenge to get to it," he said. "It was an all-electric vehicle and that presented some challenges."
The motorist in the Tesla, a man in his mid-30s, was taken to an area hospital with non-life threatening injuries.
"They (firefighters) were able to contain the fire to the garage and there was smoke damage inside the home," Wilkes said. "They (fire officials) red-tagged the home."
Red Cross was called to the scene, yet the owners of the home were given a temporary place to stay by some neighbors down the street, Wilkes said.
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It's not the first time for an accident there, but it's never been this dramatic or destructive, according to neighbors. The burnt out home is now red tagged -- no longer safe to live in.
Homeowners Manfred and Gerda Segger were still shaken up following the crash.
Manfred Segger was in the garage just inches away from getting hit.
The insurance company estimates it will take up to 8 months before the couple can return home.
