UPDATED: RIVERSIDE: 22-year-old Corona resident, killed in 3-vehicle, head-on collision, ID’d

UPDATE: April 13, 5:50 p.m. (See original story below.)

RIVERSIDE – Coroner officials have identified the victim killed Tuesday evening in a three-vehicle, head-on collision. The victim was identified as Jayson Garcia, 22, of Corona. Garcia was pronounced dead at 10:19 p.m., less than ten minutes after the deadly wreck was reported.

Although officials have stated the cause of the accident was Garcia’s excessive speed, the fatal collision is still under investigation.

Anyone with information regarding this collision or who saw the deadly crash is encouraged to contact Riverside Police Traffic Detective Greg Matthews at (951) 826-8724, or by email. Callers can remain anonymous.

 

ORIGINAL STORY

RIVERSIDE – Officials are saying excessive speed was to blame in a three-vehicle accident that injured several people and left the alleged speeder dead Tuesday evening, April 11. The fatal accident happened on Van Buren Boulevard north of Morris Street in Riverside.

The driver of a Honda Prelude, who officials allege caused the accident, sustained major traumatic injuries in the crash. The victim, who was only described as an adult male in his mid-20’s, succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene.

The name of the victim was not released, pending notification of the man’s family.

Riverside Police and Fire personnel responded to reports of a multiple-vehicle traffic collision about 10:10 p.m.

When they arrived, emergency first responders found three vehicles that were involved in a chain-reaction accident. Two of the vehicles were described as a late 90’s Honda Prelude and an Infiniti Q50. No information was available regarding the third vehicle involved in the deadly wreck.

Paramedics immediately began treating victims from the accident while officers conducted an investigation into the cause of the crash.

Although the driver of the Prelude was killed in the wreck, an adult passenger from the car sustained non-life-threatening injuries. He was transported by ground ambulance to Riverside Community Hospital for further evaluation and treatment. Officials did not release the full extent of the passenger’s injuries.

The driver of the Infiniti, described as an adult female, was uninjured; however, her teenage daughter – who was the front seat passenger – was transported to Riverside Community Hospital as a precautionary measure.

Based on the circumstances, officers from the Riverside Police Department’s Major Accident Investigation Team responded to the scene and assumed the investigation.

During their investigation, officers determined the Prelude was being driven southbound on Van Buren Boulevard “at a high rate of speed,” a police official explained in a social media press release.

Officials explained that as the speeding Prelude approached Morris Street, “for unknown reasons, the driver lost control of the vehicle causing it to cross over the raised center median and into the northbound lanes of Van Buren Boulevard.” 

After losing control of his vehicle, the Prelude collided head-on with a late model Infiniti Q50.

“A third vehicle, which was traveling behind the Infiniti north on Van Buren, swerved to avoid colliding with the vehicles and subsequently collided with the east curb of Van Buren Boulevard,” officials explained. “That driver was uninjured.”

The investigation into this accident is ongoing.

 

Contact the writer: [email protected]

Trevor Montgomery runs Riverside County News Source and Shasta County News Source. Additionally, he writes for Riverside County based newspapers, Valley News and Anza Valley Outlook and also writes for Bonsall/Fallbrook Village News in San Diego County.

Trevor 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 and breaking his back in an off-duty accident.

During his time with the sheriff’s department, Trevor worked at several different stations, including Robert Presley Detention Center, Southwest Station in Temecula, Hemet/Valle Vista Station, Ben Clark Public Safety Training Center and Lake Elsinore Station, along with other locations.