Driver injured when car hits pole in Irvine

Firefighters extricated a driver and took him to a trauma center after his car slammed into a traffic signal pole near Irvine Valley College around 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, authorities said.

Crews used heavy-duty tools to free the driver from the wreckage near an entrance to the campus in the 5500 block of Irvine Center Drive, said Orange County Fire Authority Capt. Steve Concialdi. Officials were unsure of the motorist’s age.

Paramedics took the driver to Western Medical Center in Santa Ana, said Concialdi, who added that he may have suffered broken bones in the crash.

No other cars were involved and no one else was injured, according to authorities.

Irvine police are investigating the cause of the crash.

— Jeremiah Dobruck

Twitter: @jeremiahdobruck