MALIBU, Calif. - A speeding Ferrari whose driver may have been racing crashed Tuesday on Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu, prompting the closure of the roadway and an investigation to determine who was behind the wheel, officials said.
Paramedics sent to PCH at Decker Road about 6:15 a.m. treated one person at at the scene for a minor injury, said Los Angeles County Fire Department Inspector Ron Haralson.
Stefan Erikssen, 44, of Los Angeles, a Swedish national, told authorities he was the owner of the Ferrari Enzo. But he claimed he was only the passenger, and that the driver ran off after the crash, according to sheriff's Sgt. Philip Brooks. According to Brooks, Erikssen said a German named "Dietrich" was driving the car. Police said the Ferrari may have been involved in a race with a Mercedes-McLaren SLR.
Erikssen had a blood-alcohol level of .09, which is above the legal limit, Brooks said. Brooks said no one has been arrested and the investigation is continuing.
"Whoever was in the Ferrari and a Mercedes came out to Malibu for a little race," Brooks said.
Brooks said the Ferrari was going in excess of 120 mph when the accident occurred. It skidded up the side of the hill and most likely went airborne.
Detectives were investigating whether Erikssen was actually the driver.
"The fact (is) that the passenger is the registered owner of the vehicle, from the Beverly Hills/Bel Air area; the passenger had blood on his mouth; and both airbags on the car deployed, but only the driver's side airbag had blood on it, not the passenger side," Brooks said.
The Ferrari Enzo, a limited-edition vehicle worth between $600,000 and $1 million with 650 horsepower, has a published top speed of 225 mph. The impact sheared the car in half, with the entire front section separated from the rest of the vehicle.
"For a million dollars, you get a very good passenger-safety system, and apparently in this case it did work," Brooks said.
Some electrical service was interrupted in the area after a power pole was struck by the car.