Just as the city of Orange was about to improve and protect the iconic fountain in Plaza Park, in the middle of the traffic circle, it was damaged Monday when a car plowed into it.
Around 5:21 a.m., a patrol officer on the 100 block of South Parker Street noticed a suspicious vehicle leaving the area with their headlights off. As the officer headed to stop the vehicle, the 24-year-old driver accelerated, heading east on Chapman Avenue, and crashed into the Plaza Park fountain inside the traffic circle, said Orange Police Department Sgt. Phill McMullin.
District One City Councilmember Arriana Barrios described the collision as a “Dukes of Hazzard” type crash. Video from the city shows the car traveling at high speed before crashing into a barrier and flipping several times in mid-air before landing back down.
Click here to see the video provided by the city showing the crash.
“It was only a matter of time,” said Barrios. “We have been very lucky as a city that no pedestrians have been injured so far.”
McMullin said the driver, Raymond Salazar Felix, was in possession of a handgun without a serial number and a high-capacity magazine. Felix, who was on probation for vehicle theft in Kern County, is believed to have just stolen the car from Parker Street, McMullin said. The vehicle, a Hyundai Sonata, was significantly damaged from the collision.
A section of historic tilework on the structural base of the fountain was demolished, and several crumbled portions of the exterior fell into the water. Only the base of the interior fountain piece appeared to be damaged by the crash.
McMullin said the suspect was hospitalized for moderate injuries following the collision and will later be booked at the Orange County Jail. It was not immediately known what charges he may face. Officials said he broke his legs.
Designed in 1886, Plaza Park is described by the city as the “historic heart” of Orange. In September 2022, City Council members approved a plan to spend an estimated $310,000 toward enhancing safety improvements for the park. Barrios said the last two years had been particularly bad, with several accidents occurring at the traffic circle.
The irony of it all, said Barrios, was that safety improvements to the traffic circle had just begun last week. Among the enhancements, the project will include crash-grade bollards around the perimeter designed to limit damage from vehicle collisions. She said Monday’s collision demonstrates the importance of implementing the project.
In addition to improving safety, the city plans on creating an authentic restoration of the historic fountain, with the help of original tilework designer Charles McCandless’s grandson, Mark McCandless. The grandson has offered to work with the city and help reconstruct the fountain to historical accuracy, officials said.
“We are one of the great public spaces in America and we take that seriously. The whole goal will be to restore it back to what it was and there’s a lot of people who are invested in that,” said Barrios.
Officials said Public Works and Community Services Department employees are working to restore the iconic fountain. The cost of repairs for Monday’s crash was not immediately provided by the city.
