2 Seriously Injured in Head-On Crash

An Oxnard woman and a Sylmar man were seriously injured Monday in a head-on collision on California 118 that sent one car into a strawberry field south of the highway.

Ray Riendeau, 78, of Oxnard was driving westbound with his wife, Elaine, about 2:15 p.m., when he lost control of his car at a sharp curve east of the Hitch Boulevard exit, said California Highway Patrol Officer Jim Hardy.

His vehicle skidded counterclockwise, crossed over the painted median and struck a car traveling in the opposite direction, driven by Jesus Cornejo, 50, of Sylmar, Hardy said.

Cornejo’s car then spun out of control and off the roadway into an adjacent strawberry field.

The accident closed the road, which delayed traffic in both directions for about 45 minutes, according to the CHP.

Cornejo, whom officials said was not wearing a seat belt, sustained major injuries when he hit his chest on the steering wheel. He was airlifted to Los Robles Regional Medical Center in Thousand Oaks, where he was listed in serious condition.

Elaine Riendeau, 73, suffered unspecified serious injuries and was taken to St. John’s Pleasant Valley Hospital in Camarillo, where she was listed in stable condition. Ray Riendeau sustained what were described as moderate injuries and is recovering at the same hospital.

A passenger in Cornejo’s car, Maria Moreira, 36, of Ontario was treated for minor injuries at Pleasant Valley Hospital and released.