LAKE ELSINORE, Calif. — A tractor-trailer plunged down an embankment alongside Interstate 15 north of Lake Elsinore Thursday amid rain showers, injuring the driver.
The crash happened about 10:15 a.m. on southbound I-15, just north of Temescal Canyon Road, according to the California Highway Patrol.
The agency said the big rig went out of control and veered off of the freeway, traveling more than 100 feet into a dirt field near the intersection of Temescal Canyon and Hostettler Road.
The semi remained on its wheels but sprang a leak. No other vehicles were involved.
Riverside County Fire Department crews encountered difficulties finding the accident due to poor visibility and reached the location roughly 30 minutes later, according to reports from the scene.
The trucker was found suffering a moderate facial injury and was taken to Inland Valley Medical Center in Wildomar for treatment, officials said.
The rig was hauling cooking oil product, which seeped out after the crash. Firefighters requested inspectors from the county Department of Environmental Health to determine whether there was a potential hazard.
Traffic was not impacted on I-15.