1 Seriously Injured In Ortega Highway Crash

LAKE ELSINORE, CA — One person was seriously injured following a two-truck collision on the Ortega Highway Friday morning. The crash disrupted traffic for over an hour, officials say.

Shortly after 9 a.m., an eastbound dump truck trailer jackknifed for unknown reasons on the Ortega Highway. According to Cal Fire reports, it blocked the roadway around milepost 9, near El Cariso. Shortly after, a black Chevrolet Silverado heading westbound collided with the dump truck, trapping the driver, according to California Highway Patrol dispatch.

Firefighters raced to the scene to lend assistance, and the patient was extricated in about twenty minutes. "The patient suffered major injuries and was taken to a nearby hospital by ground ambulance," Cal Fire spokesperson Karina Espinoza said.

Westbound lanes were shut down while Cal Fire/Riverside County Firefighters extracted the victim from the vehicle.

The highway was closed in both directions for approximately an hour.

No other information was immediately available.