Early Morning Crash Sends Man to Hospital

The Ventura County Fire Department had to use the Jaws of Life to extricate a man from his car early this morning before he could be taken to Los Robles hospital for critical injuries, the Sheriff's Department said in a statement Sunday.

According to the statement, Gregory T. Beattie, 21, of Moorpark was driving at a high rate of speed when a patrol deputy first observed him on Tierra Rejada Road at 12:44 a.m. Sunday. The deputy followed him as he turned onto Countrywood Drive and then Country Hill Road and finally onto Mountain Trail Street.

The deputy, who had been attempting to catch up to Beattie, observed him speed on each of the streets and fail to stop for two stop signs before the deputy activated his overhead emergency lights and siren, the statement said.

Beattie again accelerated, but immediately failed to negotiate two turns in the roadway, losing control of his vehicle, which went over the curb and collided with a concrete and rock wall at the intersection of Mountain Trail Street and Timberridge Road, the statement went on to say.