A woman believed to be in her late 60s died Friday evening after running into the eastbound lanes of State Route 18 near Christenson Road in Lucerne Valley and being struck by a tan Ford F-150. She was found lying in the roadway, unresponsive, before being rushed to a hospital in Apple Valley, where she was pronounced dead just after 7 p.m.
According to VVNG, a caller told the California Highway Patrol that the woman ran into the roadway before the pickup struck her. The Ford's driver stayed at the scene and cooperated with investigators, per CHP incident logs cited in the same report. The pedestrian was transported to St. Mary Medical Center in Apple Valley, where she was pronounced deceased at about 7:10 p.m. Her identity had not been released as of Friday night.
Road Safety Concerns on Highway 18
The San Bernardino County Local Roadway Safety Plan points to unsafe speeds and improper passing on undivided rural highways as leading causes of collisions in the area, noting that Lucerne Valley's role as a High Desert transit corridor produces a disproportionately high rate of fatal crashes relative to its small population, as detailed by the Pacific Attorney Group.
The timing of Friday's crash also lines up with broader statewide patterns. Research from UC Berkeley's SafeTREC and the California Office of Traffic Safety found that San Bernardino County recorded 120 pedestrian fatalities in 2023, with dusk and early evening hours representing the deadliest period for pedestrian collisions statewide, according to J&Y Law. Countywide, San Bernardino County recorded 14,743 people injured or killed in motor vehicle crashes in 2025, including 213 traffic fatalities, per the county's own Community Indicators data.
Legal Questions Around Right-of-Way
California traffic law places obligations on pedestrians in situations like Friday's crash. Vehicle Code Section 21950(b) prohibits pedestrians from suddenly leaving a curb or place of safety and stepping or running into the path of a vehicle close enough to pose an immediate hazard, as outlined by the Shouse Law Group.
Part of a Deadly Stretch This Year
Friday's fatality adds to a grim history of serious crashes along the Highway 18 corridor. The corridor also saw a fatal crash back in March.
No additional details about the circumstances of Friday's collision were immediately available. Open questions remain, including the victim's official identification by the San Bernardino County Coroner, whether lighting or impairment played any role in the crash, and whether CHP's Victorville office will pursue any citations or charges as its investigation continues.
