Man climbs up hill after driving over HWY 74

An elderly man’s vehicle is being recovered from about 60-feet below Highway 74 after he apparently went over the side of the road near Mountain Center Wednesday morning.

Officials with Cal Fire said the crash happened just before 11 a.m. on Highway 74 near Pinyon Drive, just east of mile marker 79. The man was able to climb back up the hill where he hitched a ride from a driver passing by.

Authorities said the man was taken to a fire department about a mile away to report the accident. The man was uninjured in the crash, according to a release from Cal Fire.

It’s unclear at this time what led to the vehicle leaving the roadway; the crash is under investigation.

News Channel 3 and CBS Local 2 will report more details as they become available.