Last Updated on March 14, 2021 by CCAR Staff
PERRIS — A driver died in a head-on crash that injured another motorist just outside Perris early Saturday.
The California Highway Patrol said the crash happened on Highway 74, just west of Ellis Avenue, about 5:45 a.m.
According to the CHP, a 2004 Honda Accord was traveling the wrong way on the westbound side of the highway when it smashed into an oncoming 2000 Nissan Pathfinder, which was driving about 60 mph.
Before the crash, both drivers attempted to avoid each other but their right front ends collided, causing major damage to each vehicle.
The driver of the Accord, a 25-year-old Lake Elsinore man, was pronounced dead at the scene. He was identified by the coroner’s office as Abraham Cortez-Rodriguez, 26, of Lake Elsinore.
The driver of the Pathfinder, a 52-year-old Lake Elsinore man, suffered major injuries and was taken to Inland Valley Medical Center.
Neither driver was wearing a seatbelt, according to the CHP.
A third involved person declined transport to a hospital, the Cal Fire/Riverside County Fire Department reported.
The CHP said intoxicated driving was suspected to have been a factor in the crash.
City News Service contributed to this story.
