A 22-year-old woman was killed when the vehicle she was a passenger in crashed into a tree in Riverside with investigators believing alcohol intoxication was a contributing factor, police said Friday.
Responding officers arrived at the intersection of Victoria Avenue and John Street around 12:05 a.m. Wednesday, regarding a single-vehicle collision into a tree, according to Riverside Police Department spokesman Officer Ryan J. Railsback.
A preliminary investigation revealed that a 23-year-old male driver, whose name was not released, drove in the wrong direction, inattentively heading westbound on Victoria Avenue while approaching John Street.
He lost control of his vehicle after failing to notice a curve in the street and struck a palm tree in the center median, Railsback said.
The driver sustained significant unspecified injuries and was taken to a hospital in unknown condition for treatment.
Detectives identified the passenger as Joanna Huizar. Her place of residence was not disclosed.
Huizar’s death was the 17th in an auto crash in Riverside this year, Railsback said.
Anyone with information regarding the crash was urged to contact Detective Ryan McHugh at 951-826-8720 or by email at RMcHugh@RiversideCA.gov.