Shooting victim dies after car goes off Railroad Canyon Road

A man who police said was the victim of a shooting Monday afternoon crashed over the side of Railroad Canyon Road and later died from injuries sustained in the shooting.

Henry Shannon, 35, left the scene of the shooting near Railroad Canyon Road and Grape Street in Lake Elsinore about 3:30 p.m., according to a Sheriff's Department news release. A short distance to the east on a hilly stretch of Railroad Canyon Road near Church Street, Shannon's vehicle went over the side in a single-vehicle accident and ended up about 75 feet below the roadway.

First responders set up a rope system to gain access to the vehicle, according to a Fire Department report. The victim was extricated from the vehicle and transported to a local hospital, where he later died.

The investigation is ongoing and no further information about the shooting or the accident will be released at this time, according to authorities. There were no reports of arrests and Shannon's hometown was not released. If anyone has information regarding this investigation, they are encouraged to call Detective Stoyer with the Central Homicide Unit at 951-955-2777 or Detective Kelleher with the Lake Elsinore Police Department at 951-245-3300.

Railroad Canyon Road was closed for several hours Monday night from Grape Street to Canyon Hills Road. Traffic was diverted from the road, which is a major traffic route between Menifee and Lake Elsinore. Motorists reported a traffic jam on Bundy Canyon Road as drivers tried to find another east-west route. As of 10:30 p.m., there had been no information about when the road would re-open.