I-15 Slows After Car Strikes Light Pole In Temecula

TEMECULA, CA — An SUV struck a light pole on northbound I-15 through Temecula Monday morning, wreaking havoc on morning traffic, according to California Highway Patrol.

Shortly before 7:30 a.m., a northbound dark-colored Jeep struck a light pole at the Rancho California northbound onramp on the east side of the freeway.

According to CHP dispatch operators, the light pole collapsed into lanes, blocking the right two lanes of the highway."A green SUV, possibly a Chevrolet Suburban, skidded from the roadway into a drainage ditch," the CHP spokesperson said.

Witnesses say that the Suburban vehicle was not visible from the side of the road and had landed in a channel full of about three feet of water.

A Cal Fire/Riverside County Fire Department spokesperson said no one was injured in either collision.

The light standard pole blocked the onramp and the slow lane of the freeway, making the northbound commute difficult. The Winchester Road onramp remains closed for I-15 improvements, with Rancho California Road's onramp acting as the detour.

All lanes had reopened, and a wrecker tow truck was still working to recover the vehicle as of 9 a.m., according to CHP.