Crime & Safety
Head-On Injury Crash Leads To Lake Matthews, Cajalco Road Closure
A compact car's driver lost control while driving at high speed on a curve, running head-on into a semi-truck, officials say.
BANNING, CA — A motorist was seriously injured Thursday in a head- on collision near Lake Mathews involving a tractor-trailer and compact car.
The crash happened about 7 a.m. in the 13300 block of Cajalco Road, just west of Lake Mathews Drive, according to the California Highway Patrol.
The agency said that a Honda sedan and big rig impacted on the two- lane corridor after the driver of the smaller vehicle lost control at high speed on a curve, running head-on into the semi.
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Fuel and other fluids spilled onto the roadway, according to the CHP.
The trucker was not injured. He was hauling a load of bricks, the CHP said.
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Cal Fire/Riverside County Fire Department crews reached the location a short time later and extricated the victim from the wreckage.
The woman, whose identity was not disclosed, was taken to Riverside University Medical Center in Moreno Valley in serious but stable condition, according to officials at the scene.
Both sides of Cajalco were shut down at the location by the Riverside County Transportation Department while the wreckage was cleared and the CHP conducted a preliminary investigation.
As of 10:30 a.m., the full closure remained in effect, with detours in place around Lake Mathews.
The closure was expected to be lifted by early afternoon.
