The car skidded to a stop in a strip mall parking lot. Police said the woman's body was catapulted roughly 60 feet.
Witnesses told police the vehicle was going fast when the accident happened. The impact was so violent, it sheared off a fire hydrant that landed near the woman's body.
The driver suffered injuries to his left leg and pelvis and is undergoing surgery. He was taken to a local hospital in serious condition and will likely face charges. Investigators are trying to determine how fast the driver was going at the time of the crash.
Witnesses also believe the driver had run a red light. According to Cpl. Anthony Bertagna of the Santa Ana Police Department, the intersection is videotaped, and police intend to review the tape to see if the driver ran the red light.
The name of the victim has not yet been released pending notification of next of kin. Authorities are having a hard time locating the next of kin because the address on her ID was a PO Box. Officials believe she worked in the medical industry.
"She was supposedly wearing some scrubs," Bertagna said.
Toxicology tests will determine whether drugs or alcohol were involved, and the results will dictate the severity of the criminal charges the driver may face.
