Driver killed in fiery crash on 215 Freeway in Murrieta
A driver was killed in a fiery crash on the 215 Freeway in Murrieta on Thursday morning.
The crash was reported just before 3:30 a.m. on southbound lanes near Clinton Keith Road, according to the California Highway Patrol.
Officers were dispatched to the area after learning of a 2007 Chevrolet Malibu that had lost control in the fast lane and collided with the center divider. The crash left the car inoperable and stalled in the No. 1 lane.
The driver, the only passenger of the Malibu, decided to get out and stand in the center divider, while the driver remained behind the wheel and called for assistance, CHP's statement said.
Minutes later, a Ford F-350 transit van also traveling southbound approached the stalled car but was unable to stop in time. The driver, only identified as a 61-year-old man from Moreno Valley, collided with the back of the Malibu.
The force of the crash caused the van to spin into the middle of the freeway. The Malibu caught fire as a result of the crash.
Firefighters from Murrieta Fire & Rescue responded to the scene and extinguished the flames.
The driver of the car, only identified as a 22-year-old man from Temecula, was declared dead at the scene. The passenger was uninjured.
The Moreno Valley man driving the van suffering minor injuries and was hospitalized for treatment, police said.
CHP officers closed all southbound lanes for nearly three hours for their investigation.
Anyone who knows more is asked to contact CHP's Temecula office at (951) 466-4300.