Big Rig Plunges Off Highway East Of Temecula

AGUANGA, CA — A tractor-trailer plunged down an embankment along Highway 371 in Aguanga Friday, scattering its cargo over a field but not injuring the driver.

The crash occurred just after 3 p.m. on the eastbound side of the highway at the junction with Highway 79, according to the California Highway Patrol.

The agency said that the 18-wheeler went through a stop sign and traveled down a 200-foot hillside, where it jackknifed in open space, hurling its contents in multiple directions.

The trucker was able to extricate himself from the big rig.

Witnesses initially reported flames coming from the semi, but Cal Fire/Riverside County Fire Department engine crews reached the location 20 minutes later and found no signs of a fire.

CHP officers were expected to partially close the highway while tow trucks using wench lines worked to reel the rig back onto the hardtop. However, the operation was not expected to get underway until about 5 p.m., the CHP said.

The cause of the crash was under investigation.

According to SigAlert.com, traffic remained slow in the area.