Plane With Marijuana Crashes; 2 Hurt
Two men were severely injured Tuesday morning when a single-engine plane loaded with marijuana crashed while attempting to land in the Rancho California area near Temecula, the Riverside County sheriff’s department said.
Sgt. Kent Hoover of the Lake Elsinore sheriff’s station said officers had to cut into the cockpit to remove the pilot and passenger of the Piper Saratoga after it pancaked into a ditch just short of a private landing strip. The pair were not immediately identified.
Hoover estimated that 400 to 500 pounds of marijuana were aboard the plane when it crashed about 7:30 a.m. in a region of scattered luxury homes.
Both men were taken to Mission Valley Medical Center at Lake Elsinore and then transferred to Riverside General Hospital in Riverside. There was no immediate report of the extent of their injuries.
Hoover said there was no fire and no other injuries.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
