Police: Woman Dies in Head-on Crash in Desert Hot Springs

A 27-year-old woman died in a head-on crash in Desert Hot Springs, police said today.

The two-vehicle collision was reported just before 6 p.m. Thursday on North Indian Canyon Drive near Mission Lakes Boulevard, according to the Desert Hot Springs Police Department.

The victim, whose name was not immediately released, was the passenger in a Kia Rio that veered into the pathway of a pickup .

Police said the driver of the Kia departed the eastbound roadway for unknown reasons, and in a bid to correct course, the driver entered the opposing lanes of traffic, colliding head-on with the pickup.

The driver of the Kia, identified only as a 28-year-old man, was transported to an area hospital for treatment of unspecified injuries, but was expected to survive, police said.

The driver of the pickup was evaluated at the scene by first responders after complaining of pain.

A stretch of North Indian Canyon Drive was shuttered for more than five hours while investigators worked the scene.