RIVERSIDE, CALIFORNIA — Three people were killed early Thursday, November 12, when a wrong-way driver slammed head-on into a Volkswagen Jetta on the westbound 91 Freeway, flipping it into the path of a semi-truck. The crash closed the westbound lanes for hours and snarled the morning commute.
The California Highway Patrol said the crash was reported shortly after 2 a.m. near 14th Street. A silver Kia Sportage was traveling east in the westbound lanes, and CHP said it hit the white Jetta head-on near Arlington Avenue. The impact flipped the Jetta, and a big rig then hit it. CHP received reports moments earlier of a wrong-way driver swerving between cars at a high rate of speed, and a witness described the driver speeding and swerving into lanes.
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The Kia’s driver, a Hispanic adult man, and his female passenger were killed, along with the adult woman driving the Jetta. A black BMW was also involved. A fourth person was taken to a hospital, and that person’s condition is unknown. The semi driver was not hurt. CHP has not released the victims’ names and is still working to determine where the wrong-way driver entered the freeway. Video showed the Jetta overturned and the Kia and big rig with extensive front-end damage.
A SigAlert closed all westbound lanes for more than six hours, with traffic backed up more than a mile at one point. Lanes reopened around 8:30 a.m. One lane was open to traffic for part of the closure.
A neighbor, Tammy, said the crash woke her. “All I heard was a boom, and I jumped up and ran to my bedroom window and I see traffic backed up. I see ambulance, fire trucks, everything. It’s sad, and I just pray for the families.”
Commuter Rob Lewis, who drove past the wreckage on his way to work, said it looked like something blew up. The scene hit close to home. He lost his leg in a crash involving a big rig three years ago. “Every time I see an accident, it hurts my heart. It’s a flashback to my accident,” he said. With rain in the forecast and Thanksgiving approaching, he urged drivers to slow down. “Take your time, get home to your kids, your loved one. Right now we’re living in a time where tomorrow isn’t promised.”
Early reports described a three-vehicle crash and put the Kia on a different part of the freeway than CHP’s later account. I used CHP’s later details.
The crash remains under investigation.
Interviews courtesy of ABC7 and local media.
📸 Image(s) used under fair use for news reporting.
