Ortega Highway Shutdown Due To Alleged Suicide Attempt

UPDATE 9:16 p.m.: The female victim who reportedly tried to commit suicide by driving off the Ortega Highway has been located about 100 feet down an embankment, east of the Lookout Roadhouse, according to CHP reports.

Fire crews have successfully extricated her from the Mini Cooper she was driving, although reports indicate she may have freed herself from the vehicle before crews arrived.

She is being transported to Inland Valley Medical Center, according to reports. Her condition is unknown.

CHP Officer Brian Keene said the victim called authorities Tuesday night and told them she tried to commit suicide by driving off the road. Keene and a partner located her via cell phone, he said.

CHP Officer Harvey Ray spoke to the victim during the ordeal. She told him that she thought the embankment was straight down and she had intended to commit suicide, he said. Her plunge, however, was halted by brush, he said.

The reason for her suicide attempt is unclear.

"She was distraught by a personal matter," Ray said.

The 48-year-old victim was from Temecula, Ray said.

The incident was first reported shortly after 6:30 p.m. The victim was located shortly after 7 p.m.

Although CHP has been on scene, Riverside County Sheriff's Department has taken the lead on the incident.

Westbound traffic at Grand Avenue was shut down due to the incident. Eastbound traffic was very heavy. The road was reopened at 9:15 p.m., according to Ray.

ORIGINAL POST: Police activity on the Ortega Highway tonight near the Lookout Roadhouse is due to a possible suicidal female driver who claims she drove off the road, according to CHP scanner reports.

Riverside County Sheriff’s Department, Cal Fire, and CHP are continuing to monitor the situation and first responders are searching for the victim.

According to the reports, the victim has been complaining of head, neck and back pain.

At 7:13 p.m., the Ortega’s westbound lanes are being shut down, according to the reports.

A Patch reporter on the scene has confirmed the roadway is closed at Grand Avenue.