A man mowing his lawn in Chula Vista Thursday night was hit by a driver who may have been intoxicated, police said.
The Southern California man and the driver, both not yet identified, were taken to the hospital for minor injuries.
Police said the motorist was driving a black Ford Focus when he lost control of the car, hit an electrical box, plowed through a fence and then hit the man.
Firefighters had to extricate the driver from the car using the Jaws of Life. The area of Fifth Avenue in Chula Vista, about 10 miles from downtown San Diego, was closed after the incident.
Thursday evening, a crumpled lawn mower was seen near the damaged car. The victim's flip-flops were thrown across the lawn.
The victim was taken to UCSD Medical Center and admitted into the ICU. He was seriously injured but responsive as of 11 p.m., officials said.
Police said the driver may have been driving under the influence of alcohol, though the crash remains under investigation.
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One neighbor, who did not want to be identified, told NBC 7 she heard the loud crash and immediately ran over to help the victim.
“He had to have flown pretty far because it looked like he was here opening his side gate while he was mowing his lawn, putting his lawnmower in, and he was found all the way at the other corner of the block,” she explained. “He did fly quite a bit.”
Neighbors said the man mowing his lawn is a well-known realtor in the community.
