One person was airlifted to a trauma center after a three-vehicle crash Tuesday evening at Highway 395 and Bartlett Avenue in Adelanto, with the wreckage piling up directly across from the Adelanto Sheriff's Station. Two vehicles collided head-on and sustained front-end damage, while a dark-colored SUV was struck from behind, leaving a tangle of damaged cars at one of the city's busiest intersections.
The crash was reported just before 6 p.m. Tuesday, according to Victor Valley News. Firefighters requested an airship for one injured person, who was first taken by ambulance to a nearby fire station before being flown to a trauma center. The outlet reported that two of the involved vehicles crashed head-on and both sustained front-end damage, while the dark-colored SUV sustained rear-end damage.
A photo of the crash scene, taken by Simone Lopez on the day of the collision, circulated alongside the news. The cause of the crash remains under investigation by the Adelanto Sheriff's Station, and no further details on the vehicles or the people involved have been released.
Neighbors Flag Safety Concerns at the Intersection
The crash drew a wave of reaction on Victor Valley News's Instagram post
about the collision, where a commenter identified as mermrcds said a car nearly hit the commenter and their daughter as they walked through the same intersection, adding that other cars honked in response. The same commenter said police officers at that traffic light do not follow the rules. Those claims reflect one resident's account shared in the comments and have not been independently verified.
Not the First Serious Crash Near Bartlett Avenue
Tuesday's wreck adds to a string of serious crashes in the area. In July 2025, a pedestrian was airlifted to Loma Linda University Medical Center after being struck by a vehicle in the 11700 block of Bartlett Avenue near Baldwin Street, the same report noted. A San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department spokeswoman said at the time that a 2021 Kia traveling east on Bartlett Avenue at about 20 mph struck the pedestrian and that the driver remained at the scene; the victim was taken by ground ambulance to Southern California Logistics Airport before being flown by REACH Air Medical helicopter to the hospital.
Earlier this month, a separate two-vehicle crash on Air Expressway west of Adelanto Road injured two drivers, one critically, who was also transported by helicopter to a trauma center, per the same outlet's coverage. That collision involved a white Honda CR-Z with front-end damage and a white Nissan Sentra with major passenger-side damage, and it forced the closure of westbound lanes on Air Expressway at Adelanto Road while eastbound lanes stayed open.
No additional updates on the condition of the person airlifted Tuesday or the circumstances leading up to the crash have been released. The investigation by the Adelanto Sheriff's Station remains ongoing.
