Historic fountain in Orange hit by yet another driver

The historic fountain at the center of a roundabout in Orange was hit by yet another driver over the weekend, marking just another incident in a string that dates back years. 

City officials say in this instance that the driver plowed into the fountain without slowing down, damaging it again. 

This time, however, the driver was arrested after Orange Police Department officers discovered nitrous oxide inside of the car. While a sobriety test revealed that they were not under the influence at the time of the crash, the 18-year-old Rancho Santa Margarita woman was still arrested for possession. 

Neither she nor her 17-year-old passenger were injured in the crash, which saw the woman jump a curb, slam into a bench and eventually the fountain. 

While Orange County Public Works crews were already called to the scene to begin initial repairs, business owners in the area are disappointed by another instance that leaves their beloved Plaza Park, which was constructed in 1886, damaged. 

Jack Carlisle owns The Potting Shed, a small shop in the Old Town Orange area. He, along with other business owners in the area, say that there are about six accidents annually in the exact same spot. 

"When cars are coming down here, they see a sidewalk. They don't see the turn," he said. "The sidewalk is about the width of a car, so sometimes they think, 'Oh, it's a lane. Right?'"

Not quite. 

Crash after crash, some so bad that the area has been shut down for months, and no matter what changes city leaders try to make, it doesn't seem to do the trick. 

Last March, a driver hit the fountain at such a high rate of speed that their car flipped over multiple times, causing damage so extensive that the area was closed for more than a year. It finally reopened in April, after the $225,000 restoration project was completed. 

Among the safety measures implemented around the fountain are black traffic bollards, flashing lights, signs and even metal poles at the entrance to every quadrant of the circle. Still, the crashes keep happening. 

Carlisle, like many others, are left without a concrete answer. 

"Maybe we need something bigger that can visibly be seen that directs people. Is there an answer? I don't know," he said. 

As for now, he's hopeful that the necessary repairs can be completed ahead of the Christmas tree lighting ceremony scheduled for the plaza on Dec. 8.