Two people who were struck and killed on Interstate 215 in Menifee as they attempted to push a disabled car off the freeway were identified Tuesday.
Fernando Vazquez, 24, of Yucaipa, and Giselle Vazquez, 19, of San Bernardino were fatally injured shortly after 7 p.m. Monday on southbound I- 215, about a mile south of Ethanac Road.
According to the California Highway Patrol, the victims — it’s unclear whether they were related — were in a 1999 Dodge sedan that sputtered to a stop in the slow lane of the freeway, prompting the pair to jump out and attempt to push the vehicle to the shoulder, while the driver, identified only as a 50-year-old San Bernardino woman, steered the car.
As the victims pushed, a 2004 Honda sedan approached from behind in the same lane at 65 mph. The 63-year-old Solana Beach man at the wheel apparently did not see the victims or the disabled Dodge in time to stop, slamming into them, Officer Mike Lassig said.
He said the man and woman were killed instantly.
The Dodge occupant was left trapped in the wreckage and had to be extricated by Riverside County Fire Department personnel. She was taken to an inland trauma center for treatment of moderate injuries.
The Honda driver suffered minor injuries but declined an ambulance, according to the fire department.
Southbound I-215 was shut down at the location for three hours because of the collision, which remains under investigation.
–City News Service