Police arrest driver who ended up on lawn

Jan. 28, 2014 4:34 PM PT

Newport Beach police on Saturday arrested a driver whose car ended up on a home’s front lawn after a single-car crash.

Police say they believe Samantha Lapidus, 23, of Costa Mesa was intoxicated while driving on Dover Drive near Harrow Place at about 6:45 a.m.

That’s when she lost control of a black Hyundai Tucson and crashed into a light pole and then a tree, according to police.

Firefighters rescued Lapidus from the car after it ended up on its side, resting against a retaining wall.

Lapidus was stable but showed signs of trauma when paramedics took her to a local hospital, Newport Beach police spokeswoman Jennifer Manzella said.

At the hospital, an officer conducted a driving-under-the-influence investigation and released Lapidus on her own recognizance, police said.

The investigation into the crash is continuing, police said.

— Jeremiah Dobruck