A Joshua Tree man was hospitalized following a one-vehicle crash Friday morning, suspected of being under the influence of heroin. The man, identified only as being 63 years old, was driving a white Ford Ranger truck eastbound on Highway 62 about 10:15 a.m. when he started swerving, crossed both westbound lanes, and drove off into the desert on the north side of the highway, across from the Unity Home Thrift Store. The front of the truck struck two metal pylons surrounding a fire hydrant, knocking them flat, but the hydrant itself was not hit. The man was taken to Hi-Desert Medical Center as a precaution. Drugs are believed to be a factor in the crash.
