A motorist was fatally injured Thursday evening when his pickup went off Interstate 10 near Hargrave Street, struck boulders and a tree and caught fire, according to the California Highway Patrol.
The crash was reported at 5:01 p.m. Jan. 9 with a vehicle on fire and someone trapped inside, next to the eastbound 10 east of Hargrave, according to the CHP.
The deceased was identified as a 50-year-old man from Palm Springs, Officer Darren Meyer of the San Gorgonio Pass CHP said in a statement.
Three Cal Fire engine crews with Beaumont Battalion responded, and "Union Pacific Railroad traffic was stopped for a short period of time due to emergency responders working in close proximity of the tracks," Jody Hagemann of Cal Fire-Riverside County said in a statement.
Meyer gave this account of the crash:
The man was driving a 2006 Ford F150 east on the 10 in the slow lane, approaching Hargrave, when witnesses saw the truck drift to the shoulder a few times.
Then, for unknown reasons, the driver of the truck drove off the freeway and down the dirt embankment.
"The truck collided with boulders and a tree causing major damage," Meyer said. "The driver of truck was trapped in the vehicle and pronounced dead at the scene."
No other vehicles were involved in the crash.
"The driver was not using his seatbelt and there were no passengers in the vehicle," Meyer said.
The crash was being investigated by CHP Officer Daniel Fitch. Anyone with more info was urged to call (951) 769-2000.
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