Wrong-Way Driver Rescued From Smoking Car After Crashing On 210 Foothill Freeway in Pasadena

A California Highway Patrol officer rescued a woman from her smoking car early Sunday after she drove the wrong way on the 210 Foothill Freeway in Pasadena and crashed into the center divider.

The CHP received multiple reports of a wrong-way driver around 1:45 a.m.

Traffic logs indicate the wrong-way driver was first spotted near Madre Street, traveling at 50 mph in the slow lane.

Officers located the vehicle after it crashed in the HOV lane just east of Hill Avenue.

The Civic had sustained major front-end damage with airbags deployed, and the woman was trapped inside with the engine smoking, authorities said.

One CHP officer had to break the car windows with a baton to extract the driver from the vehicle, according to the logs and a witness.

Emergency records show the driver was responsive and conscious when officers arrived. She was transported to a local hospital with injuries that were not immediately disclosed.

No other vehicles were involved in the crash, which blocked the HOV lane for more than an hour while crews cleared the scene.

The California Highway Patrol also requested assistance from a Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Air unit during the incident.

The crash investigation continued until at least 2:52 a.m. Authorities have not released information about potential impairment or why the driver entered the freeway traveling in the wrong direction.