UPDATED: Woman Dies, Man Injured in Motorcycle Crash Near Temecula Creek Inn

UPDATE 5:40 p.m. Nov. 21:

A 60-year-old woman died Thursday as a result of injuries suffered when she was thrown from the back of a Harley Davidson on Rice Canyon Road near Temecula Creek Inn and Golf Course, police said in a news release.

The male driver of the 2014 Harley Davidson, identified as Charles Arnstin of Alberta, Canada and believed to be the woman's fiancee, was also thrown from the bike but is expected to survive his injuries.

The wreck was reported at 12:01 p.m. at 44501 Rice Canyon, according to Temecula police Sgt. John Magnan.

Responding officers and rescue personnel found the man and woman "lying on the roadway suffering from major injuries," Magnan stated. 

Both were rushed via ambulance to nearby hospitals, but the woman, whose identity will be released after family is notified, died at 2:35 p.m.

Rice Canyon Road was closed until about 4 p.m. while the Temecula Police Department’s Traffic Collision Reconstruction Team conducted its investigation. 

It was determined the couple—on a motorcycle tour of Southern California—was traveling westbound on Rice Canyon when Arnstin lost control of the motorcycle on the wet roadway, according to the sergeant.

"At this time of the investigation, alcohol/drug involvement is not suspected as a factor in this collision and the investigation is continuing," Magnan said.

It was initially believed that the man and woman were married but further investigation revealed that was not the case.

Anyone with information that would assist the officers investigating this collision was encouraged to call the Temecula Police Department’s Traffic Division at 951-696-3000.

UPDATE 1:40 p.m. Nov. 21:

A man and woman in their mid-60s suffered major injuries in a motorcycle crash Thursday on Rainbow Canyon Road in Temecula.

Both were rushed to local hospitals, Temecula police Sgt. John Magnan told a Patch reporter on scene.

Magnan said the couple, vacationing from Canada, were riding their Harley Davidson on Rainbow Canyon Road just past the entrance to Temecula Creek Inn and Golf Course when the husband, who was driving, lost control and veered over the center yellow line.

Both were thrown from the motorcycle, the sergeant said.

According to Magnan, responding emergency personnel initially thought the husband’s injuries were fatal but were able to get a pulse before he was transported to a hospital in Murrieta.

As of 1 p.m., Magnan expected the closure of northbound Rainbow Canyon Road to remain in effect for another two hours while the accident was investigated.

In determining the cause of the accident, Temecula police traffic investigators were not ruling out the slick roadway conditions due to rain.

Police were also still attempting to identify the couple because their identification was locked inside the motorcycle, Magnan said.

It is believed the couple was on a motorcycle tour throughout Southern California and Nevada, he said.

Patch will update this post if more information is received.

—Daniel Lane contributed to this report.