Authorities release name of Murrieta man killed in I-15 accident

PALA MESA – Authorities today released the name of the 59-year-old Murrieta man who died when he was thrown from his motorcycle in a collision on Interstate 15 near Fallbrook.

Wayne Wyant died just before 4 p.m. Monday (Sept. 11) in an ambulance on the way to a hospital, according the San Diego County Medical Examiner's Office. He died of multiple blunt force injuries.

The deadly crash, which sparked a chain-reaction pileup, occurred about 3:40 p.m. on northbound Interstate 15, just north of state Route 76 in the Pala Mesa area, California Highway Patrol Officer Mark Latulippe said.

Wyant was splitting lanes on the freeway at unknown speeds when he struck the rear of a Toyota Corolla, throwing him from the motorcycle, Latulippe said. Medics were taking him to Palomar Medical Center when he died.

The initial collision set off a chain-reaction, with a Ford F-150 swerving to avoid the downed rider and crashing into a Honda Civic, Latulippe said. That crash pushed the Civic into a Volvo semi-trailer. The driver of the Civic was taken to Palomar Medical Center for treatment of minor to moderate injuries.

CHP investigators do not suspect drugs or alcohol were factors in the crash but did not immediately know why Wyant collided with the Corolla, Latulippe said. The crash left three northbound lanes of the busy freeway blocked into late afternoon Monday.