Skip to Content
Streetsblog California home
Streetsblog California home
Log In
Orange County

Car Takes Flight in Santa Ana, Crashes into Second Floor of Dentist Office

At 5:30 a.m. Sunday, a motorist sped down a residential street in Santa Ana, hit a center median, vaulted through the air, and crashed into the second story of a dentist office.

The driver, who was under the influence, and the passenger received only minor injuries.

Luckily, no other injuries were reported, but this could have been much more severe. A motel surveillance video showed a car going east on Seventeenth Street passed in front of the speeder a second before it hit the center median. And mere seconds after the car crashed into the dentist office, an OCTA bus passed by.

The incident captured the attention of most major news outlets. Even Time Magazine's Instagram account showed the image in their feed.

What's equally surprising about this event is how far the car had to cross Seventeenth, and it still did not hit other traffic. Seventeenth Street is one of the wider streets in Santa Ana, with this stretch from curb to curb being more than 102 feet wide. So yeah, the car flew more than fifty feet to reach that office's second floor.

While not much can prevent flying cars from causing havoc, the city has been working on making Seventeenth Street safer. Seventeenth Street is the site of a proposed road buffet that reduces the general travel lanes to four and adds a protected bike lane. But it will still require people to drive with care and attention.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog California

Bipartisan Team of Assemblymembers Introduce DUI/Traffic Safety Laws

After CalMatters reporting showed how CA is failing when it comes to holding drunk drivers accountable with deadly results, some legislators are trying (again) to strengthen the state's laws

February 2, 2026

Bay Area Bicyclists Honor Alex Pretti

The Bay Area joins national rides in solidarity with a cyclist murdered by federal agents in Minnesota.

February 2, 2026

Eyes on the Street: WeHo Paints All of its Bike Lanes Green

West Hollywood is installing modest safety improvements on Fairfax Avenue, San Vicente Boulevard, and Santa Monica Boulevard.

February 2, 2026

Monday’s Headlines

The Alex Pretti rides were just one act of protest in California. And of course there's lots of other news out there too.

February 2, 2026

Comment on Metro L.A. River Path Project by Monday, February 2

I have some strong opinions about the L.A. River walk/bike path. I have advocated for L.A. River bikeways since the 1990s. I wrote a book about the L.A. River. Here’s my take on Metro’s latest frustrating attempt to complete the river path. The post concludes with talking points and my comment letter which you might…

January 30, 2026

The Week In Short Videos

Delayed subways, transit measures, dangerous streets, and Alex Pretti rides

January 30, 2026
See all posts