.
Feedback

Crash Sends Car up I-15 Embankment in Temecula

The four-car crash was reported at 10:52 a.m. on southbound Interstate 15, just north of the Highway 79 South exit.

Emergency personnel were on scene of a multiple car crash just before 11 a.m. Tuesday on southbound Interstate 15 in Temecula, according to California Highway Patrol.

An elderly woman was injured in the wreck involving four cars just before the Santiago Road overpass, between Rancho California Road and Highway 79 South, according to CHP Officer Coon.

A red Toyota Prius, a silver Lexus RX350 and a Jeep were among the cars involved, Patch learned at the scene.

The slow lane was closed at the accident, while the other three lanes remained open.

"It was a minor injury crash that happened in the slow lane; traffic was slowed to a stop in the area at the time," Coon said.

The Lexus sports utility vehicle did not stop in time, he said.

"The driver didn't realize traffic was stopping and hit the back of a red Prius. That Prius went up the embankment and the Lexus continued to hit the back of a silver Jeep Wrangler, which is pushed forward into the back of a Toyota Corolla," Coon said.

Stoppages are typical in that lane as traffic gets closer to the Highway 79 South/Temecula Parkway exit, he said.

"We are lucky no one got seriously injured here," Coon said.

"The main thing is (motorists should maintain) a high visual horizon...just paying attention and not being distracted by the things we always get distracted by...phones, radios, those kinds of things."

—Daniel Lane contributed to this report.

Nita German - Dancin DJ August 30, 2012 at 04:24 pm
There are accidents there....ALL the time...southbound...
WHY ??? are they not already lengthening or widening that offramp that backs up daily ? Perhaps Pechanga should be funding a bigger, better offramp ?
Nita German - Dancin DJ August 30, 2012 at 04:24 pm
There are accidents there....ALL the time...southbound...
WHY ??? are they not already lengthening or widening that offramp that backs up daily ? Perhaps Pechanga should be funding a bigger, better offramp ?
Brenda August 30, 2012 at 04:35 pm
We are getting some luck here. A 4 car collision and no serious injuries, whew. Thank God for watching over us, and also helping to make drivers realize to slow down, watch for stopped traffic, not driving wrecklessly as you really arent going to get anywhere sooner then anyone else. :)
TVOR August 30, 2012 at 04:36 pm
Studies have been done to reconfigure the whole exit.
Sam August 30, 2012 at 04:56 pm
Blaming the exit is BS. People need to pay more attention to their driving and their surroundings.
Adrian August 30, 2012 at 04:57 pm
This is a little off topic, but what are your thoughts on the traffic boondoggle on 79s (Temecula Pkwy) under the 15? That has to be the worst intersection in Southern California, save for maybe the Long Beach traffic circle! I think a revamping of the on/off ramps is in order. Come on, Pechanga! Ha
Vor August 30, 2012 at 05:14 pm
@Sam- EXACTLY. People have a responsibility to pay attention. If that driver had been giving 100% of his or her attention it wouldn't have happened.
Lydia Lilli August 30, 2012 at 08:03 pm
I wholeheartedly agree. And what about that Winchester Rd. exit, especially in the mornings. Why is there only 1 exit lane there especially with alot of businesses there and the mall?
JJ Mclure August 31, 2012 at 10:59 am
It's illegal to stop on the freeway except in Temecula before an exit. They need some serious planning instead of charging businesses fines for not having approved signs.
Cik Bast August 31, 2012 at 11:55 am
They should, Pechanga that is. They take enough entitlement money from taxpayors for being Indians.
RC August 31, 2012 at 01:06 pm
Please tell me why it is Pechangas responsibility to widen a CITY road? Pechanga does not own that ramp, they are in no way responsible for its construction. I manage to drive down that freeway past that ramp every day on my way to work and not ever get into an accident. Stop looking for someone to blame.
Paul August 31, 2012 at 04:08 pm
Pechanga causes a lot of the traffic. I think they have already agreed to contribute a large amount toward rebuilding the whole bottleneck. There were some articles in the paper but I do not remenber the details.
Paul August 31, 2012 at 04:24 pm
The work on the southbound I-15 Winchester problem is already in construction, to be done in several phases. The part being workon on now is an offramp near date street to let cars off there to Jefferson. There will be another overpass there near Date to connect into French Valley relieving traffic on Winchester with off ramps to it from both directions of I-15. There will be a special lane to take care of southbound cars on I-215 that now want to get off at Winchester so they will not do not have to merge onto I-15 first. And more. There was an article in Patch several months ago.
Widening the current bridge to two lanes right now would not help much because all the cars have to pass thru the red-greeen signals onto Winchester. So the design has been worked out and the first parts funded and under construction for this I-215 to I15 mergfe, Date St/French Valley Expressway on and off ramps and more relief to the Winchester traffic..
Brenda August 31, 2012 at 04:30 pm
I have to say Patch the pictures you are getting in for the articles are great. Not that I like seeing wrecks and injury crashes but I believe like with Drivers education and alcoholic classes it makes an impact on drivers, hopefully. If these pictures cause just one person to think twice then they serve a purpose.
Everyone who sees these pictures should be affected and hopefully think twice about speeding up to pass 5 cars getting off at the next ramp and want to get in front of them. Or wreckless driving in general, speeding, or doing other things then concentrating on the road and things going on around them. And just remember the simple thing like not cranking the steering wheel to avoid something causing you to flip your car. Most every accident article includes a highway patrol saying this could have been avoided if the driver had not panic'd and over steered. Driving is dangerous!
Paul August 31, 2012 at 04:37 pm
Murietta's California Oaks overpass with I-15 redesign in now in full operation during the past week or so . It has TWO clover loops added and the other on and off ramps moved so that cars going either way on California Oaks to get on the freeway either direction can get there directly from their right lane. Until recently with just on and off ramps both sides there had to be red light signals to allow them to turn left across other lanes to get on the freeway. This also makes fewer red light delays for through traffic on Califonia Oaks.
IT ALSO alligned the southbound I-15 offramp to Cal Oaks continues directly into Madison St. futher improving traffic flow.

Newsletter & Alerts

Get the best stories each day and important breaking news

Subscribe

Not from Temecula Patch? Find your Local Patch »

Note Article
Just a short thought to get the word out quickly about anything in your neighborhood.
Share something with your neighbors. Write a new post... What's up? Make an announcement, speak your mind, or sell something
Masterpiece Band at Cellarz93 Restaurant Winehouse
djschristensen3 June 9, 2013 at 09:35 am
Was that the grand finale ? Cellarz93 is closed now. So sad, a wonderful gem in the Valley.
LAKE ELSINORE RESIDENT May 28, 2013 at 12:19 pm
Watch this video, it's directly across the street from a large aggregate mining operation. thinkRead More crystalline silica. Aggregate trucks drive in front of this club constantly it's a haul road. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bhckrqXX-L4
Brenda June 2, 2013 at 02:58 am
All comes down to getting the "GOLD" Balanced right in the big City Hall right? We areRead More broke we are broke! We have how many more million dollar residents, ranches, farms who pay taxes, how many more business's, triple, quadruple, on and on that pay taxes, and some very large business's at that for YEARS. Yet Murietta and Menifee with just the few they have can manage to not only put in side walks, AND ALSO ACTULLY Listen their residents, instead of call them names like Paul has been, concerns and respond to them. Hell we are just now getting some attention to our driving issues with running red lights, speeding, not stopping at stop signs, driving drunk, high, or wreeklessly causing deaths and serious injuries to walkers, bike riders, skate board, scooter riders, wheelchairs, motor bike riders, and other cars. But how many lives were lost or severly disabled until we just now the last 2 weeks have been giving traffic details for different areas, cell phone details, etc. Lucky to get some sidewalks finished in 10 years if someone doesnt figure out where our "Gold" is we all pay in. And stop calling names people at the City meetings to Paul or anyone else trying to get our City to do what its there for. By the time someone in your own family is killed they will be laughing at you for standing up asking for sidewalks right? Just like on the "Patch" comment areas, always calling names instead of sticking with your fellow Temeculites and getting us something DONE! Before we loose more lives