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UPDATE: Arrest made in deadly three-vehicle fiery crash on Interstate 15 in Temecula

TEMECULA - A motorist was killed and another driver was injured yesterday in a fiery three-vehicle collision on Interstate 15 in Temecula.

Kevin May, 47, of Fontana was at the wheel of a box truck directly behind a Prius and failed to slow down, causing his vehicle's ``front end to

collide into the Toyota's rear end,'' according to CHP spokesperson Officer Lassig. May, who was hauling furniture, is suspected of driving under the influence of drugs, Lassig said. He was hospitalized with moderate injuries at Inland Valley Medical Center, and has been arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence, the officer continued.

The crash happened about 12:30 p.m. on southbound I-15 between Overland Drive and Rancho California Road, according to the California Highway

Patrol.

Officer Mike Lassig said all of the vehicles were in the slow lane when a tractor-trailer driven by a 47-year-old Bloomington woman slowed for

traffic, and the victim, driving a 2015 Toyota Prius, braked behind the big big.

``The box truck and Toyota became engulfed in flames,'' he said. The driver of the Prius, who was not immediately identified, was

unable to escape the inferno and perished in the sedan, according to the CHP spokesman.

May bailed out of his truck, suffering moderate injuries, and was taken to Inland Valley Regional Medical Center in Wildomar. The big rig driver

was not hurt, and the semi did not burn, Lassig said.

Murrieta Fire & Rescue and Riverside County Fire Department crews reached the location within a few minutes and knocked down the blaze just

before 1 p.m.

Lassig said the investigation is ongoing and an arrest may be imminent. CHP officers shut down three of four southbound lanes to facilitate

first responders and clear the wreckage. A SigAlert was issued at 12:55 p.m. for both sides of I-15 due to major traffic congestion stemming from the crash.

By 5 p.m., two lanes were available, and two lanes remained closed on the southbound side, according to the CHP.

Copyright 2021, City News Service, Inc.

CNS-04-22-2021 18:03



 

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