A motorcyclist was seriously injured Thursday when his motorcycle slammed into a guardrail on the Ortega (74) Highway just west of Lake Elsinore, prompting the California Highway Patrol to temporarily shut down the corridor.
The crash occurred about 5:05 p.m. on the westbound side of the two-lane highway, near Lookout Point, according to the CHP.
The rider, whose name was not released, lost control after his motorcycle crossed a wet patch of road, causing it to plow into the guardrail, according to the CHP.
The victim was hurled onto the shoulder.
Riverside County Fire Department paramedics reached the location within a few minutes and rendered aid.
For the safety of first responders, CHP officers and sheriff’s deputies stopped traffic going both westbound and eastbound, according to reports from the scene.
The victim was taken to Inland Valley Medical Center in Wildomar for treatment.
The CHP was preparing to reopen the highway shortly before 6 p.m.