A 3-year-old boy was hospitalized with major injuries following a roll-over crash on the Morongo Grade Tuesday morning. According to a CHP press release, William Linares, 21, of Yucca Valley, was driving a 2002 Chevrolet Silverado westbound on Highway 62 on the Morongo Grade, east of Indian Canyon Drive at about 8:50 a.m. Due to the truck’s excessive speed, Linares was unable to negotiate a left curve in the roadway. The pick-up traveled off the right side of the highway, over the guardrail, struck the mountainside head on, and overturned, before coming to rest on its side. Linares, as well as a passenger, Billy Stratton, 27, also of Yucca Valley, sustained minor injuries from the crash and were taken to Desert Hospital in Palm Springs. The 3-year-old boy, who was not in a child’s safety seat, suffered major injuries and was taken to Loma Linda University Children’s Hospital. Neither alcohol nor drugs appear to be a factor in the crash. The California Highway Patrol is investigating the crash.
