Four people were injured in a head-on collision that took place outside the Balloon and Wine Festival in the area of Rancho California and Monte de Oro roads, officials reported today.
Joe Fanaselle/SWRNN
A purple Honda Civic was traveling westbound on Rancho California Road when, for unknown reasons, it veered into oncoming traffic and hit a white pickup truck head on, California Highway Patrol Officer Greg Peterson said.
The driver of the Honda was a 19-year-old male, according to Peterson.
Firefighters first responded to reports of the collision around 1:34 p.m., according to Riverside County Fire Department spokeswoman Melody Hendrickson.
Two people injured in the collision were trapped inside the purple Honda and had to be extricated by fire crews, an on-scene fire official said.
However, Officer Peterson could only confirm that the 19-year-old man had been extricated.
Two of the four people sustained major injuries in the crash, and two others sustained minor injuries.
Joe Fanaselle/SWRNN
Hendrickson could not confirm whether the individuals who had to be extricated from the Honda had been the ones who sustained major injuries.
Three ground ambulances also arrived at the scene, Hendrickson said.
Hendrickson added that a road closure took place between Rancho California and Glen Oaks roads as a result of the crash.
Traffic has been halted around the Temecula Valley Balloon & Wine Festival taking place at Lake Skinner just outside Temecula Wine Country and individuals planning to attend the festival should expect delays, according to on-scene reporter Kerri S. Mabee.
Mabee added that security guards were diverting outgoing traffic from the festival and were also informing drivers of the best route to exit the area.
California Highway Patrol expected to open the road back up around 3:30 p.m. today, according to Peterson.
This is an ongoing story. Check back with SWRNN for additional details.
Joe Fanaselle and Kerri S. Mabee contributed to this report.
The post Temecula: Wine country crash injures four appeared first on SWRNN.
