Driver Critically Injured in Solo-Vehicle Crash in Pasadena

A man was hospitalized in critical condition after his pickup truck plowed into a tree in Pasadena on Friday afternoon, officials said.

The crash took place about 5:25 p.m. along New York Drive, near Bradley Street, Pasadena police Lt. Anthony Burgess said.

The driver, a 40-year-old Banning resident, was headed west when his truck veered to the left, across opposing traffic lanes, and slammed into a tree, according to the lieutenant.

He was taken to a hospital with “major trauma” to his upper body, Burgess said. The man was in critical-but-stable condition after undergoing surgery.

A methamphetamine pipe was found in the driver’s pocket, he said.

The cause of the crash remained under investigation by the Pasadena Police Department’s Major Accident Investigation Team.