I-15 Crash Sends Car Skidding Off Freeway, Trapped Driver Extricated

LAKE ELSINORE, CA —A driver suffered significant injuries in a two-car crash Monday morning while traveling Southbound on I-15, south of Main Street in Lake Elsinore, California Highway Patrol Officer Mike Lassig said.

Shortly before 6 a.m., CHP and Cal Fire/Riverside County Fire Department arrived at the crash scene where a black Infiniti Q60 collided with a white Toyota Camry, according to Lassig.

Speed, not alcohol, was considered a factor in the crash.

"CHP is investigating whether or not the Q60 made an unsafe lane change from the #1 to the #3 lane, causing the Infiniti's right front to collide with Toyota's left rear," Lassig said. "This caused the Camry to spin out into the center divider, where it struck a wall and came to rest on its wheels."

Meanwhile, the Q60 was propelled off the roadway and down an embankment. It then collided with a eucalyptus tree and a fence before skidding on its roof into two more cars parked on private property.

The driver, a 33-year-old Wildomar man, became trapped inside the vehicle and was extricated by Cal Fire firefighters. "He was not seatbelted," Lassig said and was taken to Inland Valley Hospital "with significant injuries."

No lanes were blocked during the incident.

"The California Highway Patrol advises every motorist always to wear their safety restraint, as required by law," Lassig said. "They help prevent injury and can prevent death in the event of a collision."