An 18-year-old was arrested after crashing into a historic fountain in Orange County, months after the same fountain was restored after a 2023 crash.
On Nov. 24, the driver, along with a 17-year-old passenger, was driving eastbound on Chapman Avenue in the city of Orange just after midnight.
Security footage showed the black Honda CRV speeding down the road on a rainy night before entering the Plaza Park roundabout area without slowing down.
The vehicle drove over the curb, struck down several poles and a bench before slamming into the historic fountain at the center of the roundabout.
Video from the scene showed the SUV sustained heavy front-end damage as debris from the broken bench and metal poles were scattered across the plaza. Some tiles on the fountain’s edge were damaged during the impact.
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A speeding driver crashed into the historic Plaza Park fountain in Orange on Nov. 24, 2024. (Southern Counties News)
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A speeding driver crashed into the historic Plaza Park fountain in Orange on Nov. 24, 2024. (Southern Counties News)
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A speeding driver crashed into the historic Plaza Park fountain in Orange on Nov. 24, 2024. (Southern Counties News)
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A speeding driver crashed into the historic Plaza Park fountain in Orange on Nov. 24, 2024. (Southern Counties News)
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A speeding driver crashed into the historic Plaza Park fountain in Orange on Nov. 24, 2024. (Southern Counties News)
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A speeding driver crashed into the historic Plaza Park fountain in Orange on Nov. 24, 2024. (Southern Counties News)
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A speeding driver crashed into the historic Plaza Park fountain in Orange on Nov. 24, 2024. (Southern Counties News)
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A speeding driver crashed into the historic Plaza Park fountain in Orange on Nov. 24, 2024. (Southern Counties News)
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A speeding driver crashed into the historic Plaza Park fountain in Orange on Nov. 24, 2024. (Southern Counties News)
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A speeding driver crashed into the historic Plaza Park fountain in Orange on Nov. 24, 2024. (Southern Counties News)
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Repairs are underway again after a speeding driver crashed into the historic Plaza Park fountain in Orange on Nov. 24, 2024. (Orange Police Department)
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A speeding driver crashed into the historic Plaza Park fountain in Orange on Nov. 24, 2024. (Southern Counties News)
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A speeding driver crashed into the historic Plaza Park fountain in Orange on Nov. 24, 2024. (Southern Counties News)
Officers later determined the driver was not under the influence. The 18-year-old, identified only as a Rancho Santa Margarita resident by Orange Police, was arrested for possession of nitrous oxide and for contributing to the delinquency of a minor.
Both the driver and passenger suffered only minor injuries and no other bystanders were hurt.
This crash marks the second time the Orange fountain was recently damaged by speeding drivers.
In March 2023, a carjacking suspect being chased by officers slammed into the fountain, causing his vehicle to flip over several times before coming to a stop near the other end of the plaza.
After months of repairs on the historic tilework and the installation of safety enhancements at the roundabout, the Plaza Park fountain reopened to the public in April 2024.
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Damage seen to the historic Plaza Park fountain after a suspect, fleeing police, collided with it on March 13, 2023. (Orange PD)
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Damage seen to the suspect’s vehicle after the March 13, 2023 collision. (Orange PD)
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Still photo from City of Orange surveillance footage showing the Hyundai overturning after colliding with the Plaza Park fountain at the end of a police pursuit March 13, 2023.
Plaza Park, designed in 1886, is described by the city as the “historic heart” of Orange.
The fountain, built in 1937, anchors the Old Towne Orange district and has been featured in films and television shows over its nearly 90-year existence.
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