An apparently very high speed crash involving a Tesla damaged at least 4 homes in East Orange and left the driver seriously injured shortly before Midnight Tuesday night.
Orange Police dispatchers received several 911 calls reporting the crash in the area of 5944 E. Cadbury Drive in Orange. Arriving Officers found the injured man that was believed to be the driver lying near his car in the driveway of one home.
Residents driven from bed by the loud crash left their homes to find what one woman described as looking like a “war zone” as debris was spread over a large area.
The Tesla, believed to be driving eastbound on Chapman Avenue left the road and smashed through a block wall at Canyon View Avenue, down an embankment through several trees, before coming to rest against the garage and wall of a house.
The City of Orange Fire Department Urban Search & Rescue truck responded to the scene and Firefighters assessed the damage before shoring up the house and removing the debris from damaged trees with a chain saw.
Some of the debris from the crash smashed through several windows of a house with a family with small children asleep inside. In all, 4 houses were damaged by the car or flying debris. At least one car inside a garage was also damaged.
The man believed to be the driver of the Tesla was transported to a local trauma center. The Tesla suffered significant damage in the crash.
UPDATE: According to Orange Police, the 22 year old driver is believed to have suffered a medical emergency while driving and does not appear to have been under the influence of drugs or alcohol. His injuries are now described as “minor”.
