Car goes for a swim; driver has no license, insurance

FRESNO, CA -- A major mistake by an inexperienced driver is going to cost someone thousands of dollars. But he won't be the one paying up. He crashed a car into a pool near First and Shields in Central Fresno.

The driver had no license, no insurance and no clue how to drive. But drive he did, although not very far. He put the car in reverse, left his garage and only made it into the backyard pool of a house across an alleyway, about ten yards away.

It's no treasure, but getting this sunken car back to the surface required a complicated salvage operation no less. Wreckers from Action Towing got down deep to hook it up and pull it out of the backyard pool where it dove Tuesday morning. Oil and grease seeped into the water, but the driver didn't.

"He got out before the vehicle got fully submerged," said officer Michael Buessing of the Fresno Police Department.

A woman inside the home told Action News she heard a splash, then saw the driver climbing out of the pool on the roof of the Acura he'd just sunk. He got out without a scratch.

"He's not wet," said neighbor Evangelina Guzman.

"Not wet?" asked a reporter.

"Not wet," she said. "I don't know how come -- the car is inside the pool."

In fact, 23-year-old Leonardo Ortiguza-Cruz didn't seem to have a drop of water on him when Action News got to the scene. Cruz didn't want to talk to us, but neighbors told us he doesn't know how to drive and was just pulling the car out of the garage.

"I can't believe this guy actually drove this car into the back of these people's yard, man," said neighbor Ervin Parker. "They're going to have to pay for it. Are you kidding me?"

No kidding. Since Cruz had no insurance, the homeowner will have to pay for his own repairs. His insurance company is already working on a claim.

Cruz was cited for driving without a license or insurance, but the maximum fine is $1,000. The damage to the neighboring property is likely to be much more.