Accident cuts power, closes Railroad Canyon Road

A portion of Railroad Canyon Road east of Interstate 15 in Lake Elsinore was closed Thursday morning due to a single-vehicle traffic accident that injured one person and resulted in a power outage to some customers in the area, authorities said.

The accident was reported at 4:27 a.m. at Railroad Canyon Road and Grape Street, just east of the freeway. According to a Riverside County Fire Department news release, a vehicle traveling east on Railroad Canyon Road struck a power pole. One person was trapped inside the vehicle between a building and a tree. Firefighters arriving on scene were unable to rescue the victim immediately because of live power lines laying on the vehicle and in the street.

Southern California Edison crews arrived about 5:50 a.m. and cut the power, enabling firefighters to rescue the victim and transport the person to a hospital with moderate injuries.

Initial reports from SCE indicated that power was lost to more than 2,000 customers as far to the east as Canyon Hills Road. Power is expected to be restored sometime this afternoon. According to the Riverside County Sheriff's Department, Railroad Canyon Road will remain closed until sometime between 10 a.m. and noon.