An investigation was underway Tuesday into a fiery crash that killed a motorist in Murrieta.
The fatality occurred shortly after 2 a.m. Monday on Whitewood Road, just north of Calle de Tres Amigos, according to the Murrieta Police Department.
Lt. Enrique Romero said that the driver, whose identity was not immediately released, was going northbound on Whitewood and abruptly “veered off the roadway, struck the curb and then collided with a tree.”
Passing drivers called 911, and Murrieta Fire & Rescue personnel reached the location minutes later, finding the “vehicle fully engulfed in flames,” Romero said.
He said that firefighters quickly extinguished the blaze and confirmed that the motorist — the only person in the car — was deceased.
Traffic Bureau officers initiated an investigation to determine a possible cause for the crash.
An autopsy on the victim was also pending.
Anyone with information was asked to contact investigators at 951-461-6306.