2 cars crash into Long Beach home, art gallery, causing extensive damage

Two cars — one that police said was driven by a drunken driver — plowed into a home in Long Beach where the resident also operated an art gallery early Saturday morning, Feb. 24.

Somehow, the owner of The Open Gallery, who identified himself as Artos Saucedo, and his wife and son who live at the site at 1738 E. 7th St. escaped physical injury, said Officer Eric Stachura, a spokesman for the Long Beach Police Department.

The Saucedo family, writing on a GoFundMe page, said they pulled their son from the debris.

“He was somehow shoved into a corner and unharmed. I climbed over all the rubble yelling for him to finally see his eyes open staring at me. He’s 13 years old and shouldn’t have to go through something this traumatic,” the family wrote.

The driver and passenger of one car were treated for minor injuries, while the driver who police said caused the calamity was hospitalized. That man, identified by police as a 32-year-old Long Beach resident, was later booked on suspicion of felony driving under the influence.

The crash was reported at 12:35 a.m.

“The preliminary investigation indicates that a sedan traveling westbound on 7th Street rear-ended an SUV, causing both vehicles to collide with a building,” Stachura wrote in an email.

A video filmed by freelance news videographer OC HAWK showed firefighters wheeling a man to an ambulance. He looked back at someone and said, “I’m sorry.”

Someone off-camera replied: “No, you’re not.” Others had harsher words in response to the man’s apology.

The Saucedo family wrote that the home and gallery were destroyed. Local artists had their work on display at the gallery, the Saucedos wrote.

“We’re still a very new business and all of our funds and then some were completely invested in this community space. We don’t have an immediate way to work since our business is now destroyed,” they wrote, adding that they are without insurance because their insurer left California.

This story is developing. Please check back for updates.

Source: Orange County Register