PUBLIC SAFETY Woman dies after car crashes...

PUBLIC SAFETY

Woman dies after car crashes along Back Bay

A 47-year-old Lake Forest woman died early Tuesday morning after

the car she was driving spun out of control and plunged into the

bluffs along the Back Bay, police said.

Susan Hinton-Rausch was driving north on Irvine Avenue near the

intersection of Private Road at about 5 a.m. when she lost control of

her Ford Explorer. The car then slid down an embankment, rolling over

several times. It eventually landed on the bluffs.

Officials said they did not know what caused her to lose control.

There were no passengers or no other vehicles involved. Hinton-Rausch

was not wearing a safety belt, which allowed her to be thrown out of

the vehicle, officials said. She did not appear to have been speeding

or under the influence of alcohol or drugs, they said.

The Orange County Coroner hasn’t pinned down a cause of death. An

autopsy was done Tuesday, but toxicology test results are pending.

* DEEPA BHARATH covers public safety and courts. She may be

reached at (949) 574-4226 or by e-mail at deepa.bharath@latimes.com.