18-year-old killed, another driver injured in Lake Elsinore crash

Last Updated on October 24, 2021 by CCAR Staff

An 18-year-old driver was killed and another injured when a vehicle apparently crossed into oncoming traffic in Lake Elsinore on Saturday morning.

The two-car crash was reported shortly before 10 a.m. at the intersection of Railroad Canyon Drive and Church Road, according to the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department.

Deputies found Ana Arreola, 18, of Quail Valley, unresponsive in her car, and paramedics pronounced her dead at the scene at 10:20 a.m. A second driver was taken to a hospital with moderate injuries, according to the Sheriff’s Department.

Investigators believe the driver who died was traveling westbound on Railroad Canyon when her car crossed over the median and was struck by another vehicle traveling eastbound on the roadway.

It isn’t clear what caused the driver to veer into oncoming traffic. Authorities said the cause of the collision is still under investigation. They don’t believe that alcohol was a factor.

A GoFundMe page was established to raise money for the Arreola family’s funeral expenses.

Sheriff’s officials are asking anyone with information about the collision to call investigators at the Lake Elsinore station at 951-245-3300.