A 55-year-old motorist killed on the Riverside (91) Freeway in Corona when a tractor-trailer slammed into his compact sedan was stalled in lanes when the collision occurred, the California Highway Patrol reported Wednesday.
Santos Nunez Lopez of Riverside was fatally injured at 11:15 p.m. Monday on the eastbound 91 at Lincoln Avenue, according to the CHP.
Officer Javier Navarro said Lopez’s Honda Accord was in the No. 3 lane when it broke down. The victim was unable to restart the car or push it onto the freeway shoulder.
He engaged the Honda’s hazard lights, which were reportedly difficult to see, possibly because of a weakening battery.
Navarro said the driver of a big rig was traveling at an unconfirmed speed when he came upon the smaller vehicle and evidently didn’t see it in time to stop.
“The semi collided into the rear of the Honda,” the CHP spokesman said.
The sedan was pushed an unspecified distance during the impact, sustaining massive damage. The tractor-trailer came to a stop in the adjacent slow lane.
Corona Fire Department paramedics pronounced Lopez dead at the scene 15 minutes later. The trucker, whose identity was not disclosed, wasn’t injured.
Navarro said the man was questioned by officers at the scene but not arrested.
“Alcohol or drugs did not factor into this crash,” he said.
The investigation was ongoing Wednesday.