VICTORVILLE-(VVNG.com): On the night of Thursday, July 9 at about 11:35 p.m. dispatch received a report of a vehicle swerving into oncoming traffic in the area of D Street and Hesperia Road.
Three minutes following the initial call, dispatch received another call reporting a traffic collision over the bridge in the area of Highway 18 between 11th Street and Stoddard Wells Road.
Upon investigation, the San Bernardino Sheriff’s deputies determined a single vehicle traffic collision occurred when the vehicle drove behind the guard rail, hitting rocks and subsequently flipping over.
The vehicle, driven by 46-year-old Louise Atsy Garcia, of Victorville slid alongside and below the bridge leaving it hanging near the railroad tracks. Garcia was extracted from the vehicle and airlifted to Loma Linda Medical Center for treatment.
Garcia, who is now in stable condition, was suspected to be driving under the influence of alcohol at the time of the collision and was driving on a suspended license due to a prior DUI conviction.
Highway 18 was closed to eastbound traffic for 1 ½ hours while a heavy lift tow truck was used to remove the vehicle from the bridge embankment. Train traffic continued, but at a reduced speed as rescue and vehicle removal took place.
During the rescue operation, the road was closed by a marked Victorville Police patrol vehicle with it’s red and blue lights illuminated to block eastbound traffic. At 12:16 a.m. a vehicle drove around the road block into the area of the rescue operation. Martay Raab, 39 of Hesperia was contacted and field sobriety test was administered. Raab was arrested for suspicion of driving under the influence and was booked into the High Desert Detention Center.
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