Orange Historic Circle damaged by crash

ORANGE, Calif. - A serene neighborhood hangout in Orange has once again been damaged by a car crash. The historic Orange Circle has been the site of dozens of accidents, and some of them have been fatal.

Over the weekend, city security cameras captured a car going down Chapman Avenue and into Plaza Square Park. The car missed the Santa and a Christmas tree, but damaged the century-old fountain in the center.

"I think something definitely needs to be done, and it's quite costly to repair the fountain. You know, the last time that it was damaged was, you know, kind of out of commission for a long time," an Orange resident said. 

The fountain reopened over the summer after extensive repairs. In March 2023, a high-speed pursuit suspect lost control, causing the vehicle to slam into the phone and flip over. Then a few months later, in August, an SUV hit a tree in the park, killing the driver. Now, tape is up once again. 

"I come here once a week to actually take care of the roses here," Annie Mansell said. 

Mansell is with the Women's Club of Orange, which tends to the rose bushes that were plowed down overnight. She's seen bollards and traffic signs go up, but the accidents keep happening.

"This is very disappointing and very sad to see that the fountain got hit once again. And we will have to refurbish the roses once again. So, it's very sad that people don't watch the traffic around here," she added.

It's a sentiment echoed by generations of others who stroll through the historic part of town and want to enjoy the circle in peace.