Ortega Highway Crash: One Dead, Three Hospitalized, CHP Says

SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO, CA – One man is dead and three others are hospitalized following a Thursday morning wreck on the Ortega Highway SR-74, west between San Juan Capistrano and Lake Elsinore, the California Highway Patrol reports.

The three-vehicle crash happened after the man crossed into oncoming traffic and prompted a temporary closure of the highway, according to the agency.

CHP Officer Mike Lassig says the crash happened just after 6:45 a.m. near Decker Canyon Road. A Huntington Beach man was headed eastbound in a 2002 Jeep Cherokee "...at what witnesses stated was a high rate of speed."

Meanwhile, a Sun City man was headed westbound on the highway in a 2014 Ford F-150 and was being followed by a Perris man in a 2013 Chevy Silverado, Lassig said.

"[The Huntington Beach man] began to exit a curve in the roadway but was unable to negotiate the curve safely due to his high rate of speed," Lassig said in a news release. "[He] allowed his vehicle to travel over the painted solid double yellow lines, causing the left front of [the Jeep] to collide into [the Ford's] left front."

After that, the Ford driver lost control of his truck and he collided with the Chevy driver, who was trying to go around the vehicles to avoid crashing, according to Lassig.

"[The Jeep] came to rest in the eastbound traffic lane and sustained major damage," he said. "[The Ford] and [the Chevy] came to rest in the westbound traffic lane where [the Ford] sustained major damage and [the Chevy] sustained moderate damage."

The man in the Jeep had to be cut free from the wreckage and was taken to Inland Valley Medical Center by helicopter, where he died at 9:45 a.m., according to CHP and Cal Fire reports.

A passenger in the Jeep, a woman from Huntington Beach, was taken to the same hospital with moderate injuries, according to Lassig. The drivers of the other vehicles were also hospitalized with minor injuries.

SR-74, which was closed shortly after the crash, was reopened to traffic at 9:54 a.m., Lassig said. The Temecula Area CHP is investigating the crash.

--

Patch file photo by Renee Schiavone