A driver going a little too fast careened off a freeway off-ramp and crashed into a building in downtown San Francisco late Sunday, the California Highway Patrol said.
The woman driving the car was fortunately wearing a seatbelt, and was extricated from the badly damaged car before taken to the hospital. She was the only one in the car and was in stable condition on Monday morning, CHP Officer Mark Andrews said.
The wreck happened shortly after 11 p.m. when a Toyota Corolla headed west on Interstate Highway 80 entered the Harrison Street off-ramp "at an unsafe speed," the CHP said.
The Toyota hit a wall on the north side of the exit as it entered the curve, and then was launched into a building next to the ramp, Andrews said.
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After hitting the building, the car descended and came to rest on the shoulder of the ramp.
The second and third floors of the building were damaged in the crash. Information on whether anyone was inside wasn't available.
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The CHP said the woman was driving at an unsafe speed to negotiate the sharp curves of the winding exit.
Police said speed was likely a factor but thankfully, the woman was wearing a seatbelt, which helped her survive.
“This incident is a good reminder to ensure proper usage of a safety belt for any drivers and for all passengers,” said the CHP on social media.
The numbers from the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration underscore that fact -- in 2021, more than 26,000 people in the U.S. died in vehicle crashes.
Nearly 15,000 peoples’ lives were saved by seat belts and it’s estimated more than 2,500 more people would’ve lived if they were wearing seatbelts.
Crash investigators from the CHP are still trying to determine whether speed was the only factor contributing to the crash.
