According to the California Highway Patrol, the wreck occurred around 9:32 a.m. on March 16 along SR-18 near Meridian Road.
Lucerne Valley, CA – The authorities have released the identities of two people who died after a sedan collided with a semi-truck on State Route 18 in Lucerne Valley on Monday morning.
The San Bernardino County Medical Examiner identified the victim as Jeffrey Cymbaluk, a 66-year-old resident of Lucerne Valley, and Paula Lowery Cymbaluk, a 64-year-old resident of Lucerne Valley.
Jeffrey was operating a 2002 Mercury Grand Marquis sedan that collided with a red Robertson’s Transport semi-truck pulling a tanker trailer at about 9:32 a.m. on March 16 along SR-18 near Meridian Road.
Jeffry and his passenger, Paula, suffered fatal injuries and were pronounced dead at the scene.
Original Story
Lucerne Valley, CA – Two people died in a Monday morning collision involving a passenger car and a Robertson’s Transport semi-truck on State Route 18 in Lucerne Valley.
According to the California Highway Patrol, the wreck occurred around 9:32 a.m. on March 16 along SR-18 near Meridian Road.
CHP officers and other emergency personnel responded to the scene. They found a red Robertson’s Transport semi-truck pulling a tanker trailer and a 2002 Mercury Grand Marquis sedan involved in the accident. The passenger car was stopped off the roadway in the dirt shoulder and desert brush along the highway. Its passenger side was wedged beneath the front portion of the semi-truck. The big rig jackknifed, leaving the cab off the roadway and the tanker trailer partially on the roadway and extending along the shoulder.
A third vehicle, a Jeep, was also being investigated, but it was unclear what role it played, and it did not make contact with the other two vehicles.
Two occupants in the sedan were pronounced dead at the scene.
Both the car and the semi-truck were towed away from the scene.
Traffic was being diverted from SR-18 to northbound Camp Rock Road and SR-247 during the rescue and investigation. Caltrans responded to assist with alternating traffic through the crash scene.
According to CHP Victorville Area reports, Lucerne Valley continues to experience severe multi-vehicle and semi-truck collisions. While Lucerne Valley’s population is small, its status as a “High Desert gateway” leads to a disproportionately high number of fatal rollover and head-on collisions relative to local traffic. The 2025–2026 San Bernardino County Local Roadway Safety Plan identifies unsafe speed and improper passing on undivided rural highways as the leading primary crash factors. Hotspots such as the intersection of Highway 18 and High Road have seen frequent head-on crashes, prompting the current 2026 infrastructure audits.
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