Highway 74 Closes After Vehicle Plunges Over Side Near Palm Desert

PALM DESERT, CA — A motorist who plunged over the side of state Route 74 just west of Palm Desert was rescued though the operation required temporary highway closure in both directions.

The crash was reported at 9:42 a.m. on the westbound side of the highway near Vista Point.

According to Cal Fire/Riverside County Fire Department, the vehicle plunged about 200 feet.

Firefighter paramedics reached the motorist, who was hoisted up to the road via a fire department rope system and treated for minor injuries, the agency said.

The fire department reported the highway would be closed in both directions for about an hour, though shortly after 10:30 a.m. the California Highway Patrol requested a two-hour closure at the bottom of the hill in Palm Desert.

The wrecked vehicle will likely be recovered at another time, according to the CHP.

There was no word on what caused the crash. The CHP is the investigating agency.