Fire Fatality

Crash claims life

Firefighters and the California Highway Patrol respond to a crash just west of the Yucca Grade in Morongo Valley Thursday afternoon.
Published: Thursday, January 8, 2009 7:41 PM CST

MORONGO VALLEY — One person was killed in a collision around 2:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 8, on Twentynine Palms Highway at Little Morongo Road in Morongo Valley. The California Highway Patrol is handling the investigation. It appeared one vehicle, possibly a Chevy Suburban, and a Verizon van were involved in a collision; both vehicles came to rest on the shoulder next to the westbound lane of the highway.The SUV caught on fire and was destroyed, and it appeared the driver was killed. The San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department confirmed the collision was fatal. The Verizon van appeared to have sustained damage from the collision and the fire.Morongo Valley firefighters responded to the scene, extinguishing the flames. Traffic was backed up as firefighters and investigators responded to the emergency, and vehicles were directed onto Little Morongo Road, where the sandy surface may have posed a problem for some drivers. The early information from the CHP online incident center indicated drivers found it difficult to see the scene because of the setting sun.For more on the collision and its aftermath, see the Saturday print edition of the Hi-Desert Star.