Temecula, CA (March 4, 2024) A traumatic accident took place on Interstate 15 in Temecula on Friday morning, March 1st, claiming the life of 23-year-old Ariel Bridgeman, of Murrieta. Following a fender bender of her own, Bridgeman stepped out of her vehicle in one of the interstate lanes and was hit by a car near Rainbow Valley Boulevard, authorities said.
It was just before 5:00 a.m. as Bridgeman headed down Interstate 15 in a 2021 Honda Accord. For reasons unknown, she veered onto the right shoulder of I-15. Officer Mike Lassig said the car collided with a chain length fence that served as a freeway perimeter before smashing through the fence and slamming into an embankment. The force of this collision pushed her Honda back onto the northbound lanes of traffic. It finally stopped, facing the wrong direction and blocking both the no. 2 and no. 3 lanes.
Ariel Bridgeman then opened her car door and stepped out of her car, onto the freeway, authorities said. As she did this, a 38-year-old man was traveling at approximately 70 miles per hour in a 2017 Honda Civic. He saw the woman standing in the roadway, but couldn’t change lanes to avoid her because of traffic. The man slammed on his brakes, filling the freeway with the sound of tires screeching. Sadly, he was unable to stop his vehicle in time and ended up hitting Bridgeman.
The driver immediately stopped and waited for emergency personnel to arrive at the scene. Reports indicated that the Riverside County Fire Department arrived at the scene within minutes and ran to help Bridgeman, who was lying in the middle of the interstate. Even with their best efforts, it seemed nothing could be done. Bridgeman had been killed in the collision and was, unfortunately, pronounced dead at the scene.
The driver of the Honda Civic was transported to Inland Valley Medical Center in Wildomar to receive treatment for minor injuries.
The initial crash also caused three other, minor, spin-off wrecks on Interstate 15, as well. Officer Lassig said that none of these resulted in any injuries, though. Investigators are working to determine what happened to cause this horrible accident to occur.
Our team at Accident News Now extends our deepest condolences to the family of Ariel Bridgeman during this difficult time of loss. Our team of legal professionals is here to assist you if you’ve been affected by this traumatic accident on Interstate 15 in Temecula.
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