BRIEFLY IN PUBLIC SAFETY

17-year-old crashes into gown shop

A 17-year-old Santa Ana resident crashed his 2007 Honda Civic into a parked car before veering into the L’ezu Atelier gown shop in Corona del Mar Thursday evening, breaking display windows and damaging some merchandise.

With two passengers in his vehicle, the driver reported changing lanes to pass a slower vehicle before moving back into the right lane on East Coast Highway near Poppy Avenue, but did not remember what happened after that, said Sgt. Evan Sailor.

A witness said he saw the driver speeding before the crash at 3800 E. Coast Highway at about 9:30 p.m.

The driver was taken to Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian complaining of neck pain, and one passenger was taken unconscious to Western Medical Center.

The driver was cited for unsafe speed. No alcohol was involved, Sailor said.

Cracked pipe causes soybean-oil spill

A cloudy white substance spilling into the water Friday at a marina across from the Newport Harbor Elks Lodge was apparently soybean oil, Newport Beach police said.

Along with police, Newport Beach Fire Department and Orange County Sheriff’s Harbor Patrol officials were called out after the spill was seen at about noon.

The substance was traced from Harbor Tower Marina at 3333 W. Coast Highway to the old Newport Technology Center building on Superior Avenue, which is being turned into medical offices to serve Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian.

Workers injected soybean oil into the ground to address possible contamination, and a pipe carrying the oil cracked, Newport Beach Police Sgt. Evan Sailor said.

The oil leaked from the pipe into the storm drain and from there flowed to the marina.