By Mary O’KEEFE

A vehicle crashed through the back gate at Rosemont Middle School in the 2700 block of Los Olivos Lane sometime overnight on Monday and landed near the basketball courts.

“The two [male driver and female passenger] were found asleep this morning in the vehicle,” said California Highway Police Officer Mohun at the scene of the accident.

A nearby resident made a 911 call at 1:49 a.m. concerning a crash heard in the area. The 911 call first went to the Crescenta Valley Sheriff’s Station which turned it over to the CHP – the agency that oversees any traffic issues within the unincorporated area of Los Angeles County/La Crescenta.

“We got the 911 call at 1:40 a.m. and our unit responded at 1:55 a.m.,” said Officer Bejar, CHP spokesman.

The unit arrived about 2 a.m. and was not able to locate the accident. It should be noted the vehicle had cleanly sheared off the school’s back gate and traveled several feet into the unlit Rosemont campus. During the day the destruction was difficult to see from Los Olivos.

CHP left the area and it wasn’t until a Rosemont staff member arrived about 7:25 a.m. that morning that the vehicle with its passengers was found near the basketball area near the south entrance of the gym.

The staff member found the driver, a 22-year-old La Crescenta man, and female passenger asleep in the vehicle. The airbags had deployed and acted almost like drapes hanging down from the windows. The vehicle was full of a variety of items; it appeared as if the occupants had been living in the car.

The investigation is ongoing but it appeared the vehicle was traveling eastbound on Los Olivos Lane when it crashed into the back entrance gate to the school, sending the gate about 150 feet down the driveway. The vehicle then jumped over a curb and traveled down a hill stopping just before the basketball courts.

The driver and passenger were transported to Verdugo Hills Hospital with minor injuries. As of yet it was not known if drugs or alcohol played a role in the accident.

Drug paraphilia was found at the scene but there are no charges against the driver as CHP continues its investigation.

“The [driver] has not been arrested, however, once the investigation is done and if [CHP finds evidence of driving under the influence] we will issue an arrest warrant,” Bejar said.

Anyone with information can contact the CHP Altadena office at (626) 296-8100.

  Mary Okeefe