Driver taken to hospital after going down embankment

NEWPORT BEACH — An unidentified driver was transported to Western Medical Center in Santa Ana after driving over an embankment into the Upper Back Bay, according to authorities.

Emergency crews responded to a 2:15 p.m. 911 call from a witness who reported that a vehicle had gone over the side of Eastbluff Drive and down a steep embankment, said Newport Beach Fire Department spokeswoman Jennifer Schulz.

It took crews about one hour to cut open the vehicle and hoist the victim up by crane, where the victim was then immediately transferred to a waiting ambulance, Schulz said.

Although only the Chrysler PT Cruiser went over the side of the road, it is not clear if any other vehicles were involved in the accident.

Police are conducting an investigation, Schulz said.

—Sarah Peters