Bail set at $2 million for man arrested after high speed crash

A Costa Mesa man’s bail has been doubled to $2 million by authorities at Newport Beach police request after he was arrested this morning for allegedly leaving the area of a fatal car crash on Jamboree Road.

Police would not rule out speed and alcohol are possible factors that led to two European sports cars losing control on southbound Jamboree Road in Newport Beach and crashing, leaving one driver dead after his Ferrari careened into a light pole.

Just before 1 a.m. police spotted two sports cars, a 2004 red Ferrari 360 Modena, and a white 1977 Porsche 911 Targa, out of control on southbound Jamboree Road between Eastbluff Drive North and Bison Avenue.

“Skid marks at the scene indicate they were travelling at a high rate of speed,” said Lt. Craig Fox.

Fox said an officer traveling the opposite way saw the Ferrari, a $150,000 car with a V8 engine and top speed of nearly 200 mph, out of control next to the Porsche when it careened onto the curb and hit a light pole, splitting in half and killing the driver.

The front and rear ends of the car were more about 30 feet away, fire department officials said. The driver of the white Porsche, Jeffrey Kirby, 51, Costa Mesa, stopped briefly, then continued on, Fox said. Officers rushing to the area spotted Kirby and his passenger, 32-year-old Lynn Nabozny of Newport Beach, walking away from the Porsche after they parked it on Bison Avenue, not far away from the crash, Fox said.

Police arrested Kirby on suspicion of vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated and are holding him in Newport Beach jail in lieu of $2 million bail. Nabozny was arrested for public intoxication and was released at 7:45 a.m. after sobering up, police said.

The Porsche had moderate damage to its side consistent with colliding with the Ferrari before the crash.

Police have not identified the driver of the Ferrari pending notification of his family. The passenger, an unidentified female, was thrown from the car and taken to Western Medical Center and is in stable condition, police said.

Police are still investigating the cause of the accident.