No injuries in rollover crash

ERIC LINDBERG
DAILY SOUND STAFF WRITER

Firefighters raced to the intersection of Micheltorena and Laguna streets yesterday afternoon after receiving reports of a rollover crash that left one driver trapped in his car.
Upon arrival, fire crews found a Mazda MPV on its side with crushed glass strewn across the street, its driver seemingly unhurt but unable to climb out of the vehicle. After popping the back hatch, firefighters helped the man out of the Mazda.

Paramedics took him to Cottage Hospital as a precautionary measure. A Volkswagen Vanagon, its driver also unhurt, appeared to be the only other vehicle involved in the accident and sustained only minor front-end damage.
Several people who live in the neighborhood said they heard the crash just before 1:50 p.m. and called 911 immediately.
“The second we turned around, we saw that car just flying,” Kay Spencer said, pointing to the Mazda. “Your heart drops in your stomach. … When you see something like that, you automatically think somebody is hurt.”
Firefighters on the scene speculated the driver of the Mazda may have failed to see the Volkswagen while pulling into intersection from Laguna, the van hitting the MPV at its rear axle and spinning it onto its side. Police did not identify either driver and said the cause of the accident remains under investigation.
Debbie Iuele, who lives near the intersection, said while there haven’t been many accidents in that area, she frequently hears squealing brakes at night.
“I hear a lot of screeching, a lot of close calls,” she said.
Abby Rogers, a longtime Santa Barbara resident, said she sees accidents on De la Vina and Chapala streets on occasion, but rarely in that neighborhood.
“I’ve been walking here for 20 years and this is a first for me,” she said.