A motorcyclist escaped serious injury Thursday in a crash on Highway 243, just north of Mountain Center.

The accident happened about 8:20 a.m. near the junction of the 243 and Highway 74, according to the California Highway Patrol. The agency said that the rider apparently lost control and went down on the shoulder of the two-lane mountain corridor.

Several good Samaritans stopped to assist and call 911, according to the CHP.

Officers and Riverside County Fire Department paramedics arrived about 20 minutes later. The rider was assessed, and other than a few abrasions, appeared to be OK, according to reports from the scene.

He declined to be transported to a hospital for further evaluation. However, his damaged motorcycle had to be towed away.

No lanes were closed because of the crash.

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