A collision on Old Woman Springs Road in Landers this morning (December 5) left three people injured. The CHP has announced additional enforcement in the area owing to the high number of fatal and injury collisions on this stretch of two-lane State Route 247, also known as Old Woman Springs Roads, that runs from Yucca Valley to Lucerne Valley.
The CHP reports that today at around 6:45 a.m., Anna Rodriguez, a 59 year-old from Desert Hot Springs, was driving a Mini Cooper northbound on Old Woman Springs Road near Napa Road, when she crossed the double yellow lines into the southbound lane of traffic. The CHP says she collided head-on with a Chevrolet traveling south in the southbound lane, driven by Chance Sistrunk, a 27 year-old from Oklahoma.
Rodriguez sustained major injuries and Sistrunk sustained moderate injuries. Christina Layden, a 27-year-old female from Oklahoma, was a passenger in the Chevrolet and sustained major injuries. All involved parties were transported to Desert Regional Medical Center.
This crash is still under investigation. Alcohol and/or drugs did not appear to have been a factor. If anyone has information pertaining to this crash, we ask them to call the Morongo Basin CHP Office at 760-366-3707.
After the collision, the CHP issued a statement saying that they would be increasing traffic enforcement on State Route 247 and deploying additional units. They said, “officers will be strictly enforcing traffic laws with emphasis on unsafe passing and speeding on SR-247. Motorists are reminded to be patient, watch their speed, and only pass when it is lawful and safe.”
Several collisions on State Route 247 in the last several weeks have led to five deaths and countless injuries, most of which have occurred, in part, because of illegal passing on the two-lane highway. California’s transit agency Caltrans, which oversees the road, is currently conducting a field investigation into its safety and signage in light of the recent collisions.
Previously reported:
