Man killed in collision with semi identified

TEMECULA – A motorist killed when his vehicle slammed into the back of a tractor-trailer near Temecula was identified Thursday, May 11 as a 74-year-old Moreno Valley resident.

Valeriano Vizcarra was fatally injured about 3 p.m. Wednesday, May 10 on northbound Interstate 15, near the exit for Rainbow Valley Boulevard.

According to the California Highway Patrol, Vizcarra was at the wheel of a 2012 Toyota Camry, going about 65 mph in the slow lane, when he failed to see traffic ahead of him braking.

Officer Mike Lassig said that trucks were pulling into a CHP commercial vehicle inspection station and slowing to 10-15 mph, including a three-axle heavy duty rig directly in front of Vizcarra's Camry.

"For an unknown reason, the victim failed to observe (the) slowing traffic, causing his front end to collide into the truck's rear end,'' Lassig said.

The force of the impact wedged the Camry underneath the truck, requiring Riverside County Fire Department personnel to extricate Vizcarra from the sedan, according to Lassig.

The victim was transported to Temecula Valley Hospital, where he died a short time later.

The freeway was partially shut down for just over an hour to facilitate the rescue and clear the wreckage, Lassig said.