Maria Villalpando

Neither driver sustained major injuries when a PT Cruiser driven by a University of La Verne student flipped over in a collision Monday with a white Toyota Corolla at D Street and Arrow Highway. The accident, which occurred just south of the Arts and Communications Building closed surrounding streets for more than an hour, while police cleared the debris.

Click here to view a video of the crash scene, courtesy of La Verne Community Television, LVTV-3.

Angie Gangi
Sports Editor

Andres Rivera
Managing Editor

Nobody was seriously injured Monday when a white Toyota Corolla collided with a University of La Verne student’s PT Cruiser causing the Cruiser to flip over on the corner of D Street and Arrow Highway, less than half a block from campus.

University of La Verne junior Samantha Toia was clearly shaken after her PT Cruiser flipped at roughly 5 p.m., car parts and its contents spilling out into the busy boulevard.

Toia declined to comment on the accident, which was witnessed by about 20 La Verne students, faculty and city residents, and which caused the closure of surrounding streets for more than an hour.
Both drivers were able to walk away from the wreck and neither was taken to the hospital, though police and paramedics rushed to the scene.

The driver of the Corolla, identifying herself only as Heather P., limped slowly from the scene complaining of tenderness in her knee and ankle. She declined medical treatment.

May Dinowo, a ULV speech communications major, heard the accident and became concerned when she realized her friend’s car was the one that flipped over.

“I saw the smoke and the car upside down,” Dinowo said. “Apparently she was going really fast because she flipped the PT Cruiser over.”

La Verne resident Matt Mergil, 20, was standing on the corner of D Street and Arrow Highway when the accident occurred. He immediately called 911, but said he was unable to get through. Another bystander was able to get through to emergency services.

“I went to the car to try to help the woman out and I kept asking, ‘Are you alright?’” Mergil said. “She was mumbling but I knew she was all right because she was able to get out.”

La Verne Police spokesman Lt. Gary Mason would not release the accident report by press time Thursday. Its cause is still under investigation.

Angie Gangi can be reached at agangi@ulv.edu.

Andres Rivera can be reached at arivera3@ulv.edu.