Fatal Crash in Anza-Borrego Desert

One person died Saturday morning in a crash on State Route 78 near Scissors Crossing in the Shelter Valley area of Anza-Borrego Desert State Park. (10news.com) California Highway Patrol officers were dispatched at about 10:15 a.m. to SR-78 east of San Felipe Road, where the collision involved a motorcycle and a truck, according to City News Service and local TV reports. (10news.com) (fox5sandiego.com) The crash shut down westbound lanes while crews worked in the desert corridor, and a SigAlert remained in effect until shortly before 1:30 p.m. Deputies from the San Diego County Sheriff’s Office and California State Parks helped with traffic control, and two tow trucks were sent to the scene. (hoodline.com) The location helps explain why the response drew multiple agencies. Anza-Borrego is California’s largest state park, and Shelter Valley is one of the unincorporated communities surrounded by the park’s vast backcountry. (parks.ca.gov 1) (parks.ca.gov 2) Scissors Crossing is a remote junction where Highway 78 meets County Road S-2 at the edge of the park and the San Felipe Valley Wildlife Area. The area is also a trail access point for the Pacific Crest Trail, which brings hikers and drivers through the same exposed desert pass. (explore.pcta.org) (alltrails.com) State Route 78 has already seen other deadly crashes in the Shelter Valley corridor this month. East County Magazine reported that a head-on collision on April 4 south of County Road S-2 killed two people and injured two others. (eastcountymagazine.org) As of the initial reports, investigators had not released the name of the person who died or said what caused Saturday’s collision. California Highway Patrol is continuing the investigation. (10news.com)