After a series of fatal and serious accidents on Whitewood Road in Murrieta, the police have announced an increase in surveillance along the corridor. During the entire month of June 2023, the Murrieta Police Department's Traffic Bureau will increase vigilance and education efforts along the Whitewood Road Corridor, an extension of the road that begins at Murrieta Hot Springs Road and heads north to Mapleton Street (south of Scott Road), the agency announced on Friday.
The department aims to address the major factors of accidents, including speeding, traffic signal violations, unsafe turning movements, and distracted driving. "This concentrated effort will improve public safety, reduce traffic collisions that could result in injuries and property damage, and educate those who travel our city's roads," according to the Murrieta police.
The announcement comes after a series of accidents on Whitewood in recent weeks. A single-vehicle accident on May 21 left one person with serious injuries. The crash occurred just after 7:30 p.m. at the intersection of Whitewood and Carolwood Court, approximately a quarter-mile south of Alta Murrieta Drive. A gray Ford F-150 truck crashed into a tree and a light post, cutting both objects. Firefighters used the Jaws of Life to rescue a woman from the wreckage; she was taken to a local hospital with serious injuries. The man driving the truck was treated at the scene of the accident but declined further medical attention, according to a reporter present at the scene. No other injuries were reported. Firefighters used a chainsaw to cut the fallen tree and clear the road. A Southern California Edison team deactivated the exposed wires of the fallen pole.
On April 23, at approximately 8 p.m., a 73-year-old cyclist died after colliding with the rear of a parked SUV on Whitewood Road, north of Poinsettia Street. Josef Binter of Murrieta was heading north on Whitewood when a 37-year-old woman in an SUV stopped just north of the intersection of Poinsettia Street and parked on the side of the road to attend to her son in the back seat, according to the Murrieta Police Department. Binter apparently did not see the stationary SUV and crashed into the rear of the vehicle.
In another incident on May 18, a motorcyclist died at the intersection of Whitewood Road and Hellebore Street. Mason Young, 23, of Menifee, was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident at 6:31 p.m. A 17-year-old girl driving a sedan was turning left onto Whitewood heading north from Hellebore, according to the Murrieta police. She did not see Young heading south on Whitewood and he collided violently with her car.
All three accidents occurred in residential areas and remain under investigation. The Murrieta Police Department hopes that increased surveillance and education efforts will prevent further accidents on the Whitewood Road Corridor and ensure the safety of those who travel its roads.
Originally posted at Liga Legal®
