UPDATED: TEMECULA: Murrieta resident killed in 3-vehicle rollover ID’d

TEMECULA – A Murrieta resident died in a three-vehicle, rollover traffic accident Tuesday, Feb. 14. The deadly wreck happened at the intersection of La Serena Way and Butterfield Stage Road in Temecula.

Coroner officials later identified the driver killed in the collision as 47-year-old Marcus Gastiaburu.

Deputies from the Riverside County Sheriff’s Temecula Police station responded to several 911 calls from citizens reporting the multiple-vehicle collision about 6:55 p.m., according to Riverside Sheriff’s Sergeant William Pratt.

When deputies and other emergency first responders arrived they located three wrecked vehicles with parts and debris strewn across the roadway.

Firefighter/paramedics immediately began assessing and treating those injured in the collision while deputies began investigating the cause of the collision.

Three people from two of the sedans involved sustained injuries ranging from minor to moderate, according to Cal Fire/Riverside County Fire spokeswoman Jody Hagemann. A fourth person, the driver of the truck who was later identified as Gastiaburu, sustained major traumatic injuries in the collision. He succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene at 7:01 p.m.

Temecula PD’s Traffic Unit responded to the location to conduct an accident investigation.

During their investigation, deputies determined Gastiaburu was traveling eastbound on La Serena Way in a pickup truck when he collided with a sedan traveling southbound on Butterfield Stage Road.

The impact caused Gastiaburu’s pickup truck to overturn directly into the path of a second sedan traveling northbound on Butterfield Stage. The second sedan then smashed into the overturned truck, killing Gastiaburu, who was the sole occupant in the over turned vehicle.

The driver of one of the sedans was transported to a local area hospital with moderate injuries. The other victims injured in the accident were evaluated at the scene and declined further medical attention.

Anyone with information about this incident is urged to contact Officer Carpenter at the Temecula Police Department at (951) 696-3000. Callers can refer to incident file number TE170450266 and can remain anonymous. Citizens may also submit a tip using the Sheriff’s CrimeTips online form.

Contact the writer: [email protected]

Trevor Montgomery spent 10 years in the U.S. Army as an Orthopedic Specialist before joining the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department in 1998. He was medically retired after losing his leg in an off-duty accident.

During his time with the sheriff’s department, Trevor worked at several different stations, including the Robert Presley Detention Center, the Southwest Station in Temecula, the Hemet Station, and the Lake Elsinore Station, along with many other locations.