A pedestrian was killed during a series of crashes on the 91 Freeway in the Riverside area that allegedly involved two people who were driving drunk, authorities said Monday, Sept. 30.
The crashes occurred about 3:15 a.m. Sunday on the eastbound 91 Freeway west of Adams Street, according to the California Highway Patrol.
“CHP Riverside units responded to a call of a crash involving two vehicles, a Jeep Patriot and a Kia Sportage,” the CHP said in a statement. “Preliminary investigation indicated the Jeep and Kia were involved in a previous crash resulting in minor injuries and the Jeep becoming disabled in lanes. Moments later, the occupants of the Jeep exited the vehicle and were pedestrians in lanes,” the CHP statement said.
“A commercial tractor-trailer traveling eastbound took evasive action to avoid the Jeep and lost control. It traveled over the right concrete wall and overturned,” the CHP statement said.
The truck driver suffered a minor injury, the CHP reported.
“A Toyota Camry traveling eastbound behind the commercial tractor-trailer also took evasive action in an attempt to avoid the Jeep,” the CHP statement said. “The Toyota struck the Jeep and a male pedestrian — (a) former passenger of the Jeep — resulting in fatal injuries.”
The pedestrian was later identified as 21-year-old Riverside resident Alfredo Verganza-Lucas, according to a coroner’s report published Sunday evening.
“After the initial impact, the Jeep was pushed forward into the path of an additional passenger standing directly in front of the Jeep. Theadditional passenger was transported to a local hospital with major injures,” the CHP reported.
“The driver of the Toyota was uninjured and not under the influence,” the CHP statement said. “The drivers of the Jeep and the Kia were both arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol.”
The names of the people who were arrested were not immediately available for release. Anyone with information on the case was urged to call the CHP Accident Investigation Unit at 951-324-7210.
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