A 29-year-old Santa Barbara man, who severely injured himself during a residential construction job, passed out behind the wheel of his car Monday morning as he tried to drive himself to the hospital.
The San Roque resident was pulling up flooring in his home when a board flew up and hit him in the face, causing a deep laceration. Instead of calling 911, he jumped in his 1997 Toyota 4-Runner and made his way to Cottage Hospital, but when he looked in the rear view mirror and saw the severity of his wound — coupled with blood loss and the pain he was experiencing — the man lost consciousness near State Street and Alamar Avenue.
The truck swerved off the roadway, ran up an embankment, hit a pole, and flipped on its side. Police responded to the scene within one minute and found the man trapped within. Rescue personnel removed him from the vehicle from the passenger door and transported him to the hospital.
No other vehicles were involved in the accident.