A person was killed and two others were critically injured Wednesday in a two-vehicle collision just south of Lake Mathews that caused one vehicle to overturn and damage a power pole.
The wreck was reported about 6:30 p.m. on Lake Mathews Drive, near Gavilan Road, according to the California Highway Patrol.
A Ford Fusion sedan and a pickup truck collided at the location, though it was unclear which driver triggered the crash, a CHP official said.
One of the vehicles flipped over and smashed into a utility pole, snapping it in two.
Riverside County Fire Department crews arrived within five minutes and pronounced an occupant of the overturned vehicle dead at the scene.
Another victim had to be freed from the wreckage and was taken to Riverside University Medical Center in Moreno Valley with major injuries, according to the fire department.
A third person suffered extensive head trauma and was hospitalized, the CHP said.
Lake Mathews Drive was partially shut down because of the crash, the cause of which was under investigation.
Southern California Edison technicians were sent to repair the broken pole.