This report brought to you by Mountains Community Hospital
By Scott Limpus
June 13, 2019
At 2:55 PM on Thursday, emergency crews were dispatched to a traffic accident with unknown injuries reported on State Route 18 (Hilltop Blvd.) near Deep Creek Drive in Arrowbear Lake. The California Highway Patrol (CHP), Running Springs Fire Department (RSFD), Arrowbear Lake Fire Department (ABLFD), and California Departments of Forestry & Fire Protection (CalFire) arrived on-scene to find a white Ram 2500 utility truck with major front-end damage and on the embankment, and a damaged telephone pole partially leaning over the roadway. The driver and his small dog were out of the vehicle and appeared uninjured.
According to a statement made by the driver, he was travelling on SR-18 from Big Bear towards Running Springs and for an unknown reason, lost control of his vehicle, hit a telephone pole, and ended up high-centered on the right shoulder. No other vehicles were involved. The driver stated that he had been having problems with his steering for some time, and believes that is why he lost control and crashed.
Paramedics checked out the driver who refused transportation to the hospital. Danella, a utility contractor for Southern California Edison, had just finished work on the same powerlines and remained on the scene to provide traffic control, which was alternating in one lane until a tow truck could remove the vehicle. The highway was completely closed so Edison crews could replace the damaged pole. Traffic in both directors was redirected on Arrowbear Drive. There was minimal delays for commuters.
CHP is investigating the incident. The roadway was dry at there was good visibility at the time of the accident. Mechanical failure is likely to be a contributing factor.
