A single-vehicle crash left one person dead and another victim critically injured in Temecula, the California Highway Patrol said Sunday.
The crash was reported at 11:45 a.m. Saturday on southbound Interstate 215 just north of Clinton Keith Road.
According to the CHP, a woman behind the wheel of a 2004 Toyota Corolla was driving southbound and steered toward the Clinton Keith Road off-ramp. The driver then steered back to the No. 3 lane of the freeway, then suddenly steered sharply to the right, causing the car to slide sideways and strike a freeway exit sign. After striking the sign, the car continued in a southwesterly direction, and the left side of the vehicle struck a light pole.
Cal Fire responded to the crash and pronounced the driver dead at the scene. A passenger in the car suffered major injuries and was taken to Inland Valley Hospital, authorities reported.
The driver was a 23-year-old woman from Portland, Oregon and the passenger was a 22-year-old woman from Camas, Washington.
The crash was still under investigation.