BEAUMONT: Wrong way driver who caused 7-car pileup arrested for DUI, other charges

BEAUMONT — A woman who caused a seven car pileup while driving the wrong way on Highway 79 in Lamb Canyon last night was later arrested for driving under the influence, according to CHP.

Two people – including the wrong-way driver – were injured in the crash, which happened just south of County Landfill Road in an unincorporated area between the cities of Beaumont and San Jacinto.

At the conclusion of their initial investigation, CHP officers arrested Conie J. Stone, 51, of San Jacinto. After being medically cleared at an area hospital, she was booked into Larry D. Smith Correctional Facility in Banning on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol, DUI resulting in injuries and illegally crossing a center median.

CHP and other emergency first responders were dispatched to the scene of the wreck about 5:50 p.m., after receiving numerous reports of the accident.

According to a CHP incident log, 911 callers reported that the initial two-vehicle accident was caused by a person driving northbound in the southbound lanes of SR-79. The wrong-way driver, who was later identified as Stone, reportedly collided head-on with a southbound vehicle.

Just four minutes later – while officials were still responding to the first crash – several 911 callers reported that the head-on collision had caused a chain reaction crash of five additional vehicles. Initial reports indicated there were major injuries; however, officials later determined the crash resulted in only minor injuries.

According to CHP’s incident log, initial reports of the accident indicated that the wrong way driver had possibly been driving a white work van and had tried to flee the scene after the collisions; however, neither of those claims have not been verified by officials and Stone was not booked on charges of hit and run.

Within minutes of the multiple wrecks, evening commuters who were driving on the popular and heavily traveled highway became gridlocked and traffic quickly backed up several miles in both directions.

According to motorists, southbound traffic backed into Beaumont to the I-10 Freeway and northbound traffic backed up into San Jacinto beyond Gilman Springs Road.

While trying to respond to the collisions, firefighters, law enforcement officers, ambulance crews and other first responders found themselves stuck in miles of gridlocked traffic.

Because of the heavy congestion, emergency personnel had to slowly weave their way through the blocked traffic, which dramatically effected their response times to the scene of the collisions.

When fire and law enforcement personnel arrived at the scene they found wrecked vehicles spread across both southbound lanes of traffic, on both shoulders and against a center median. Officials also found many good Samaritans and witnesses providing aid and comfort to those involved in the crashes.

All of the vehicles sustained moderate to heavy damage and vehicle parts and debris were scattered more than 100 feet in both directions from where the accident happened.

Firefighters and paramedics evaluated and treated the victims while CHP investigated the collision. During their investigation, officials called for the temporary closure of both southbound lanes of SR-79 and once a pathway was cleared, officials allowed vehicles to slowly work their way south, past the scene of the accident.

While interviewing Stone, officers suspected she was under the influence of alcohol and they issued a series of field sobriety tests, which she reportedly failed. According to officials, Stone had a blood alcohol content of more than .08%; however, officials did not disclose what her actual BAC was.

Despite the number of vehicles involved in the wreck, paramedics determined only two people were injured in the collision and their injuries were described as minor.

The driver of the vehicle Stone smashed into was treated at the scene and he reportedly declined further medical treatment. Stone was eventually transported to an area hospital for treatment of her injuries and for a medical clearance required for booking.

Because the southbound lanes of SR-79 were gridlocked into Beaumont, officers at the scene of the crash requested four tow trucks from the San Jacinto Valley respond to the scene to remove the wrecked vehicles.

In order to remove the wrecked vehicles and get the highway reopened as soon as possible, officers requested the tow truck drivers expedite their response.

Due to the heavy traffic heading northbound on SR-79 officers authorized the tow truck drivers to travel up SR-79 on the wrong side of the road and several flatbeds were soon seen heading northbound on the southbound side of the highway from Gilman Springs Road.

According to CHP’s incident log, about 50 minutes after the wrecks officials advised that motorists had begun to use the highway’s shoulders to turn their vehicles around and travel the wrong way on SR-79. According to one motorist, dozens of frustrated, wrong-way drivers were then seen heading back up the hill towards Beaumont in an effort to escape the gridlocked traffic.

With the only highway that directly connects the San Gorgonio Pass and the San Jacinto Valley blocked and un-passable, motorists who managed to get off the highway before getting stuck were forced to seek alternative routes to their destinations.

Many area residents who found themselves stuck in the traffic nightmare took to social media asking for information about the traffic jam while others shared what they had seen or heard about the accidents. Some discussed the frustration of having to go to the bathroom while trapped on the blocked highway and others described how the wrecks, subsequent cleanup and collision investigation added up to three hours to their travel times.

The wrecked and inoperable vehicles were eventually towed from the scene and shortly afterwards the roadway was cleared of all the debris left by the multiple collisions.

According to CHP’s incident log, officials reopened the road shortly before 8:30 p.m. However, despite the highway being reopened, travelers using the highway reported that traffic remained congested through the area for about another hour.

Jack Simpson, who resides in San Jacinto and commutes to Palm Springs for his job, later described how he became stuck in the traffic jam for nearly two hours.

“By the time I realized traffic was coming to a dead stop I was about halfway between Beaumont and (County) Landfill Road. I was completely blocked in and couldn’t move in any direction until CHP began allowing us through. But even then it was just a few cars trickling through at a time.”

After learning the accident was caused by a drunk driver, Simpson angrily replied, “When are these selfish idiots going to learn? What is it going to take?”

“Between the speeders, reckless drivers and drunks, these accidents are happening way too often and these m—–f—–s just don’t seem to learn or give a s— about anyone but themselves,” Simpson continued. “I just don’t understand and I don’t think I ever will.”

An online jail record search revealed Stone remains in custody, held on $50,000 bail and she is scheduled to be arraigned at an unspecified court, Feb. 6.

Anyone with information regarding this investigation or who witnessed the collision is encouraged to contact CHP’s San Gorgonio Pass Station at 769-2000. Callers can refer to incident file number F020-655-18 and can remain anonymous.

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Trevor Montgomery, who recently moved from Riverside County to Shasta County, runs Riverside County News Source and Shasta County News Source. Additionally, he writes for Riverside County based newspapers Valley News, The Valley Chronicle and Anza Valley Outlook as well as Bonsall/Fallbrook Village News in San Diego County.

Trevor spent 10 years in the U.S. Army as an Orthopedic Specialist before joining the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department in 1998. He was medically retired after losing his leg, breaking his back and suffering both spinal cord and brain injuries in an off-duty accident.

During his time with the sheriff’s department, Trevor worked at several different stations, including Robert Presley Detention Center, Southwest Station in Temecula, Hemet/Valle Vista Station, Ben Clark Public Safety Training Center and Lake Elsinore Station, along with other locations.