A 21-year-old motorist died Thursday when his car smashed into a guardrail and overturned on the Riverside (91) Freeway near downtown Riverside.
Branon Beccue was fatally injured about 1:20 a.m. on the westbound 91, just east of Central Avenue, according to the California Highway Patrol.
Officer Juan Quintero said that Beccue was driving his Infinity Q50 at an unknown speed when he “lost control of his vehicle and subsequently collided with a guardrail on the north side of the roadway.”
The sports sedan flipped over, going onto its roof, ejecting Beccue onto the shoulder of the freeway, according to Quintero.
The victim’s passenger, whose identity was not released, suffered unspecified minor injuries and was able to extricate himself from the vehicle. He did not require hospitalization.
Riverside Fire Department crews reached the location within a few minutes and pronounced Beccue dead at the scene.
The CHP shut down the No. 3 and 4 lanes on the westbound 91 because portions of the guardrail were torn apart and left jutting into the two lanes, creating a hazard. The closures were lifted about two hours later.
The investigation is ongoing.
Anyone with information was asked to contact the Riverside CHP office at 951-637-8000.