One-vehicle crash on I-10 in Desert Center

Three people suffered major injuries Friday afternoon after the rear tire of a pickup truck traveling west on Interstate 10 rapidly deflated, causing the driver to lose control of the vehicle.

The pickup careened into the center divider, eventually overturning. A male juvenile passenger was ejected during the one-vehicle collision.

The crash occurred in Desert Center around 1:25 p.m. just west of Box Canyon Road. The unidentified male driver of the 2003 Ford F-150 had two passengers – an adult female and the minor. All three people were taken to Desert Regional Medical Center by ambulance and helicopter.

The accident is still under investigation, and police don’t know if alcohol or drugs were a factor in the crash.

Traffic officials have developed a plan to reduce traffic collisions along a dangerous stretch of Interstate 10, where at least 10 people have died this year, including widening the striping to make it more visible to motorists and additional signage and enforcement near construction sites.