Last Updated on August 8, 2020 by CCAR Staff
Two people died in a head-on collision on Saturday morning, Aug. 8, on a road near San Jacinto notorious for serious crashes.
The collision was reported at 5:40 a.m. on Ramona Expressway west of Warren Road, Sgt. Mike Heath of the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department said. Witnesses told the California Highway Patrol that one of the vehicles caught fire.
One of the drivers was found dead inside a car while another person, described only as a male, was found with serious injuries and later died at the scene, Heath said.
Traffic Collision w/Fire: RPT @ 5:40 a.m. Ramona Expy. X Bridge st. Two vehicles and two victims. Both victims required extrication and perished at the scene. Firefighters contained the vehicle fire at 5:56 a.m. contact RSO with any questions. BC, 3 ENG, AMR, RSO #RamonaINCIDENT pic.twitter.com/mOzFahTg30
— CAL FIRE/Riverside County Fire Department (@CALFIRERRU) August 8, 2020
It wasn’t known if the male was the driver of the other vehicle, an SUV. It also wasn’t immediately reported if there were other occupants in the SUV.
Investigators learned that the driver of the car, a black Kia Spectra, was traveling westbound on the expressway when, for unknown reasons, the car drifted over the double-yellow line and struck an eastbound Ford Expedition head on, Heath said.
The driver of the car was trapped inside and was found after firefighters extinguished the flames, Heath said.
One of the drivers later was identified by the Riverside coroner as Carlos Rodriguez, 74, of Perris. The identity of the other driver was not released as of Sunday.
The expressway was closed from Warren Road to Bridge Street for more than four hours as authorities investigated the crash.
At least 12 motorists or pedestrians have died in collisions on Ramona Expressway in the past 12 months, according to news reports. The highway between Perris and San Jacinto narrows to one lane in each direction east of Lake Perris State Recreation Area, and speed and inattention have contributed to numerous crashes, officials have reported.
There were 33 crashes on Ramona Expressway in the first six months of 2018.
Transportation officials hope that the six-lane Mid-County Parkway, which will run 16 miles from the 215 Freeway to San Jacinto, will take traffic off Ramona Expressway. Construction on an interchange at Placentia Parkway is scheduled to begin in September, but there is no money yet in hand to complete the entire project.
