Community Corner

UPDATED: Crash Forces Closure of Highway 79, Major Injures in Gilman Springs Collision

Traffic along the highway was backed up for miles in Beaumont on Monday afternoon as wreckage was cleared.

UPDATE 7:50 P.M. (with more details from the scene):

A series of crashes in the Lambs Canyon area Monday forced a major closure of the thoroughfare connecting Beaumont to the San Jacinto valley, and sent three people to the hospital— one of them with "major trauma."

The first crash was reported around 3:30 p.m. on the southbound side of Highway 79 in Beaumont, a couple miles north of Gilman Springs Road.

Find out what's happening in Banning-Beaumontwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

In that crash a red Acura coupe lost control near a curve in the roadway, and flipped onto its top.  The solo person inside— a man from Palm Desert— escaped serious injury, and was walking around after the crash when Patch arrived.  No other vehicles were involved. 

However, because of the location of the crash and the need to clear the wreckage, CHP closed down all southbound lanes of the highway at First Street in Beaumont at around 4 p.m., causing a massive backup of traffic as hundreds of cars were stopped.

Find out what's happening in Banning-Beaumontwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The ensuing traffic nightmare led to several other collisions along Highway 79, as Patch spotted many other fender-benders involving those stuck in the roadway between the closure and the crash site.

The second major crash happened just before 4 p.m. on Gilman Springs Road, about a quarter mile east of Highway 79, near the Scientology center.

That collison involved a total of three vehicles and four people— three of whom were hospitalized; one of them with "major trauma," according to officials on scene.

CHP Officer Ramiro Gonzalez told Patch that a Nissan SUV lost control on Gilman Springs Road, and hit the two other vehicles. 

"The roadway was wet due to rain," Gonzalez explained.  "[The driver of the black Nissan] failed to negotiate the curve in the roadway, crossed over the double yellow line, and— this is according to three witnesses that I already spoke to— the black vehicle hit this Saturn head-on in the eastbound lane, it careened off that vehicle and sideswiped this white car, and then finally ended up down the embankment."

"The lady driving the Saturn had to be cut out of the vehicle and she had major trauma," he said.

She was taken by helicopter to Desert Regional Medical Center to be treated for her injuries. 

The man who was driving the Nissan SUV complained of chest pain, while his passenger complained of pain to his head, according to Gonzalez.   Both were hospitalized.

The woman who was driving the white sedan which was side-swiped was uninjured, though her car did have to be towed from the scene.

As for the cause of the crash, Gonzalez said it wasn't necessarily the rain; rather, it was likely the driver going too fast in it.

"Speed was a factor," he told Patch.  "People always say that it's the rain.  It's not the rain, but people driving too fast in the rain.  I believe he was going too fast for the conditions of the weather."

 

UPDATE 5:40 P.M.:

The California Highway Patrol reports on its website that all lanes of traffic on Highway 79 are now open.

UPDATE 5:15 P.M.:

Three people involved in the crash on Gilman Springs Road near Highway 79 have been hospitalized, one of them a woman who suffered major injuries. The unnamed woman was airlifted to Desert Regional Medical Center in Palm Springs, CHP officials on scene told Patch.

A total of three vehicles were involved in that crash. The crash was one of a handful that occured on or near the highway, likely a result of the rain. CHP officials are investigating the exact cause of the crash.

And despite earlier reports from officials there was no sign at the scene that a CalFire vehicle had been involved in the any of the collisions.

CHP officials said they anticipated having the road open by 6 p.m.

UPDATE, 4:50 P.M.:

There have been at least two serious crashes on or near the rain-slicked Highway 78 today that forced the closure of the road. Another collision was reported at just before 4 p.m. on Gilman Springs Road east of Highway 79. According to the CHP, one person was trapped in their vehicle and needed to be cut out, according to the CHP.

Air support was being called to the area to help with a critically injured person, officers reported.

ORIGINAL ARTICLE:

A serious crash that reportedly involved a CalFire vehicle has forced the closure of the southbound Highway 79 in the area of First or Second Street, according to authorities.

California Highway Patrol officials were in the process of turning freeway traffic around, according to their online records.

The collision was reported at 3:45 p.m. CHP officials were still piecing together what had happened as of 4:15 p.m. but it appeared two people may have been injured, according to the report.

And officials did tell Banning-Beaumont Patch that a CalFire vehicle was involved in the crash.  This story will be updated as information becomes available.


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