Driver Careens Off Highway 74 In Midst Of 'Mental Health Crisis'

PALM DESERT, CA —Riverside County Sheriff's Department's aviation unit airlifted a patient with major injuries from a Highway 74 crash scene Friday, likely caused by a person having a mental health crisis, Sgt. Robert Martinez reported.

Riverside County Sheriff's Department deputies responded to an "unknown trouble" call just after 7 p.m. Friday near the Coachella Valley Vista Point, according to Martinez. The vehicle had veered off the highway and careened down the mountain, leaving it below Highway 74.

"The driver sustained major injuries, and the department's aviation unit was requested at the scene to retrieve the victim from the remote location," he said.

The driver, who was not identified, was taken to a hospital in critical condition.

Martinez said the individual was suffering from an unspecified mental health crisis. No further information was immediately available.