With the help of a winch, responders recover the victim's body in a Stoke's basket, a type of rescue litter. Photo by Jack Clark
With the help of a winch, responders recover the victim's body in a Stokes basket, a type of rescue litter. Photo by Jack Clark

Wednesday afternoon, Oct. 12, a woman was killed in a single-vehicle, over-the-side crash at about milepost 57.9 on Highway 74, a 1/4 mile west of McGaugh Road. Her 2006 Mazda convertible was traveling westbound when it was reported going off the roadway at 2:01 p.m. Traffic on the highway was one-lane and escorted for at least three hours.

The deceased has been identified as Kathi Vogley, 65, of Idyllwild.

The terrain where the vehicle went over is very steep with numerous boulders, small trees and chaparral. California Highway Patrol Officer Mike Murawski, who climbed down to the scene, estimated that the vehicle came to rest about 400 feet below the roadway, from which it was not visible. He stated that the crash was "violent" and that debris from the car could be seen in the trees. The victim was found outside and near her vehicle. It could not immediately be determined whether she had been wearing a seat belt at the time of the crash.

Emergency vehicles from Cal Fire, Riverside County Fire (including Pine Cove and Garner Valley), the U.S. Forest Service, American Medical Response, sheriff's deputies and the coroner's office responded in addition to the CHP. CHP was on scene Thursday, Oct. 13, assisting with recovery of the vehicle.

Also on Highway 74, but east of Pinyon, an individual was transported by helicopter with major injuries involving a motorcycle. That crash was reported at 11:54 a.m. Wednesday.