A 26-year-old woman killed in a five-vehicle crash on Interstate 215 in Riverside was stopped with other motorists because of a disabled pickup truck when a sedan slammed into the back of her car, authorities said Monday.
The fatality occurred about 6:30 a.m. Sunday on southbound I-215 near Columbia Avenue, according to the California Highway Patrol.
Sgt. Charles Murray told City News Service that the driver of a 2005 Chevrolet Silverado pickup stopped in the fast lane after his rear left tire went flat, at which point three vehicles behind him came to a stop, including a 2018 Honda Civic with a Fontana woman at the wheel, farthest to the rear.
“There was a 2011 Lexus IS 350 also in that lane, and he did not stop,” Murray said. “He rear-ended the Civic, and that triggered a chain-reaction crash involving all of the vehicles.
He said the woman driving the Civic, whose identity has not been released, was taken to a Riverside hospital in grave condition and died a short time later.
The Lexus driver was uninjured and was questioned by officers but not arrested, Murray said, adding that a juvenile passenger in the sedan suffered moderate injuries and was hospitalized.
The driver of a car directly in front of the Civic suffered moderate injuries, as well, and was taken to a hospital, where officers determined he was under the influence of alcohol, though he did not contribute to the wreck, according to Murray.
That man, whose identity was not disclosed, was formally taken into custody for alleged DUI but remained hospitalized, the sergeant said.
The other motorists and their passengers suffered minor injuries but did not require hospital treatment, Murray said.
The investigation is ongoing.
Southbound I-215 was completely shut down for an hour while the vehicles were removed. Two lanes remained closed until shortly after 9 a.m., and the entire southbound side was reopened by 10 a.m., according to the CHP.