Crime & Safety

CHP Officers + Motorists in Crashes on Rain-Slick SR 79 in South Beaumont

Women from Banning and Cherry Valley were injured. A sequence of events that included three crashes began at 8:39 a.m. Saturday on southbound Lamb Canyon Road, north of County Landfill Road, a CHP spokesman said.

Two people were injured, CHP officers had to run, and a California Highway Patrol car was damaged in a series of three crashes in a curve Saturday on rain-slick Lamb Canyon Road in south Beaumont, a CHP spokesman said.

The sequence of crashes began at 8:39 a.m. Saturday on southbound Lambs Canyon, also known as State Route 79, north of County Landfill Road, Darren Meyer of the San Gorgonio Pass area CHP said.

"The roadway was wet and it was lightly raining at the time," Meyer said in a statement.

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First, the driver of a brown Acura lost control of his vehicle on a curve and struck the mountainside, Meyer said.

CHP Officers Daniel Fitch and Al Groover were dispatched to the scene and arrived about 10 minutes later. While Fitch and Groover were documenting the first crash, a second driver lost control of his vehicle, southbound on SR-79 in the same location, Meyer said.

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"The second vehicle also struck the mountainside, narrowly missing the officers and their patrol vehicles," Meyer said. "Officers requested additional units to assist with traffic breaks and attended to the driver of the second vehicle."

About five minutes later, a Honda Civic driven by Malina Nelson of Banning, approached the same curve on southbound SR 79, Meyer said.

"While Nelson attempted to negotiate the curve at a speed in excess of 60 MPH, she lost control of her vehicle," Meyer said. "The Honda was headed directly for the officers. Both officers were able to run out of the path of the careening vehicle just before it struck the rear of a patrol car parked on the shoulder."

Nelson and her passenger, Sarah Rider from Cherry Valley, were transported to a local hospital with minor injuries.

Neither of the CHP officers were injured, but the CHP vehicle sustained major damage. Drugs and alcohol were not a factor in the collision, Meyer said. All three crashes remained under investigation.

Meyer reminded motorists to slow down and exercise caution during the current storm system. Winter storm and high wind warnings are in effect for the San Gorgonio Pass area through Sunday.


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