A motorist was injured and briefly trapped inside his SUV Friday after he slammed into an electrical pole in Good Hope, causing electrical lines to fall onto Highway 74.
The crash was reported at 12:25 p.m. Friday on the eastbound 74 near Seventh Street, just west of the Perris city limits, according to the California Highway Patrol.
Multiple Riverside County Fire Department engine crews were sent to the location and found the driver sitting inside the Jeep, afraid to move due to the electrical lines on and around it.
Sheriff’s deputies and CHP officers immediately shut down both eastbound and westbound lanes for public safety, forcing traffic to detour, using Ellis Avenue to the west of the crash and Navajo Road to the east of it.
SoCal Edison technicians de-energized the lines at 1 p.m., and the motorist was safely extricated. The victim, whose identity wasn’t disclosed, was taken to a regional trauma center for treatment of minor injuries, according to reports from the scene.
As of 1:10 p.m., the highway remained closed. SCE crews were expected to make repairs to the pole and restore electricity to the immediate area by mid-afternoon.
The cause of the crash was under investigation.