Car Runs Off Freeway, Injuring Woman
A woman was seriously injured early Monday when her car plunged 50 feet into a riverbed after being struck by another car near Anaheim Hills, authorities said.
Arene Rayfield, 36, of Corona was driving west on the Riverside Freeway shortly after 6 a.m. when her Chrysler veered into the next lane half a mile from the Weir Canyon exit and was hit by an another car, said California Highway Patrol Officer Johanne O’Hair.
Rayfield’s car was going between 65 and 70 mph when it was hit by the Ford Explorer, and both vehicles went off the road, tumbling into a nearby riverbed, officials said.
“There was shattered glass on the slow lane,” said CHP Officer Katrina Lundgren. “People came out with flashlights to look for possible victims.”
The No. 5 lane was closed for two hours, causing traffic tie-ups, Lundgren said.
Rayfield suffered serious injuries, and the driver of the Ford, 48-year-old Gregory Moses, also from Corona, suffered moderate injuries. Both were taken to Western Medical Center-Santa Ana. A third victim, a passenger in Rayfield’s car, Sadie Williams, 47, of Riverside, was taken to Kaiser Permanente Anaheim Medical Center.
The cause of the accident is under investigation, officials said.
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