Ortega Highway closed after car crashes down embankment

On January 24 at about 6:45 p.m., deputies from the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department responded to a reported injury traffic collision on Ortega Highway, approximately four miles west of Grand Avenue in Lake Elsinore.

It was reported that a gray Mini Cooper traveling westbound, left the roadway and came to rest approximately 100 feet down the embankment.

CHP officers arrived first on scene, located the vehicle, and summoned Cal Fire and AMR personnel to the scene.

The driver of the vehicle, identified as a 49-year-old female from Temecula, sustained moderate injuries as a result of the incident.

Preliminary investigation revealed the driver of the vehicle intentionally left the roadway in an apparent suicide attempt. She was transported to Inland Valley Medical Center to receive treatment for her injuries.

Westbound Highway 74 traffic was closed at Grand Avenue for several hours as a result of this incident.

Anyone with further information about this incident should contact the Lake Elsinore Sheriff’s Station at 951-245-3300.

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