A vehicle reportedly veered off the Redlands (10) Freeway and slammed into a block wall in Banning Saturday night, sending one person to the hospital with minor injuries. The crash was reported at East Livingston and Alola streets as emergency crews worked to pull someone free from the wreckage.
The crash was reported at 8:31 p.m. Saturday at East Livingston and Alola streets, according to the Riverside County Fire Department, as reported by MyNewsLA. Less than half an hour later, at 8:57 p.m., the California Highway Patrol reported that firefighters were working to free someone from the vehicle.
Extent of Injuries, Number of Occupants Still Unclear
Fire officials said one person suffered minor injuries and was taken by ambulance to a hospital. It remained unclear whether that person was the same one who had been trapped inside the vehicle, and the total number of people who were in the car at the time of the crash was also unknown, per the same account.
A Google photo of the scene examined in the report showed just a chain-link fence separating the freeway from Livingston Street, with the block wall standing in front of what appeared to be an auto repair business. No further details on how the vehicle left the freeway, or whether other vehicles were involved, have been released.
Caltrans roadside-safety guidance says a desirable clear recovery zone of at least 30 feet should be considered for freeways and high-speed expressways, though site conditions such as traffic volume, road alignment and slope affect what can be provided. The agency defines the zone as space where a driver who leaves the roadway may be able to regain control. The scene photo alone does not establish whether the Banning location meets that guidance. Caltrans’ Traffic Safety Systems Manual
A Similar Scare on the Same Freeway Earlier This Year
Banning's crash echoes another single-vehicle wreck along the same freeway corridor months earlier. In June, two people were injured when a Ford Explorer driven by an 80-year-old Ontario man crashed into the center divider on westbound Interstate 10 near Whitewater, coming to rest and blocking two lanes of traffic, the outlet's report noted. That crash was reported at about 3:20 p.m. near the Whitewater Rest Area, with the driver sustaining minor injuries and a passenger suffering moderate injuries before both were taken to a hospital. The CHP said no other vehicles were involved and that alcohol or drugs were not a factor in that incident.
The June 30 Whitewater crash involved no other vehicles, and the California Highway Patrol said alcohol or drugs were not factors. Both occupants were taken to a hospital after the Ford Explorer hit the center divider, with the driver suffering minor injuries and the passenger moderate injuries. Those findings distinguish that crash from Saturday’s Banning wreck, for which officials have not released a cause or said whether other vehicles were involved. The Whitewater crash account
No cause has been given for Saturday's crash in Banning, and officials have not released updates on the condition of the person hospitalized.
