One Dead, One Hospitalized In Lakeland Village Crash

LAKELAND VILLAGE, CA — One person was killed in a traffic collision in the Lakeland Village area of Southwest Riverside County on Thursday evening, leading to the temporary closure of a major thoroughfare in town. The California Highway Patrol reports the person died at the scene of the wreck, which occurred just before 5 p.m. along Grand Avenue near Vail Street.

According to CHP Officer Mike Lassig, the crash happened as a man in a 2009 Ford Focus was driving southbound on Grand and "for unknown reasons drifted into the northbound traffic lanes and collided head-on" with a man in a 2003 Chevy Suburban.

Cal Fire paramedics responded to the scene, and pronounced the driver of the Focus deceased. The Suburban driver suffered major injuries and was rushed to Inland Valley Medical Center.

Grand Avenue was closed as officials awaited the coroner and investigated the crash, according to Lassig. However, it reopened around 7:15 p.m., CHP logs showed.

The CHP Temecula Area is investigating the incident.

— Images via a Patch reader