Menifee woman dies in crash that caused fire on Briggs Road
The hillside and fencing are charred and melted at the scene of Thursday's crash. (Photo by Doug Spoon) By Doug Spoon, Editor A Menife...
By Doug Spoon, Editor
A Menifee woman died in a single-vehicle crash and fire that spread over the hill south of the intersection of Briggs Road and Garbani Road Thursday afternoon, authorities said.
The fire, which was first reported on the Menifee 24/7 Facebook page, was visible from the north side of the hill, where Briggs Road dead-ends into Garbani Road, at about 5:56 p.m. That fire was extinguished in less than an hour with help from aerial assault and neighboring structures were not damaged.
Additional information confirmed by the Menifee Police Department today revealed that the fire started when a 65-year-old woman driving on Briggs Road where it picks up south of Garbani crashed her vehicle into side of the hill. First responders found the 2018 Kia Sportage with minor front-end damage and fully engulfed in flames.
The woman, whose name has not been released, was trapped inside the vehicle. Officers were unable to rescue the female from the vehicle and she died at the scene, according to a Menifee PD news release.
The crash occurred on Briggs Road just north of Gardner Lane. The fire spread over the top of the hill and down the north side before forward progress was stopped. The fire covered about 2.5 acres, according to the fire department.
Investigators from Menifee PD determined that the driver may have experienced a medical emergency, causing her to drive off the roadway and into a dirt embankment. Drugs and alcohol do not appear to be a factor in the crash.
Anyone who witnessed the incident or has additional information is asked to contact Officer Gonzalez with the Menifee Police Department Traffic Unit at 951-723-1634, or the Traffic Unit at 951-723-1500.
