A 52-year-old motorist who was struck by a car after exiting her SUV in Moreno Valley to check on a fatally injured burro ultimately died from her injuries, following four days under intensive care, authorities said Wednesday.
Jacqueline Morgan of Moreno Valley was hit on the night of Dec. 15 along Redlands Boulevard, just north of Ironwood Avenue, in an area known as Big Horn Canyon, according to the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department.
The agency said Morgan died at Riverside University Medical Center in Moreno Valley about 9:30 p.m. Sunday.
According to sheriff’s Sgt. Robert Grmusha, about 11:20 p.m. on Dec. 15, the victim was trailing other vehicles going south on Redlands, including a 2013 Toyota Corolla that encountered a wild donkey crossing the two-lane corridor.
“The Toyota struck and killed the burro crossing near the intersection of Juniper Avenue,” Grmusha said. “The driver of the Toyota moved his vehicle from the roadway and was in the process of calling for assistance when the driver a 2007 Chevy Trail Blazer (stopped and) angled her vehicle in front of the burro in an apparent attempt to prevent a secondary collision.”
The sergeant said that Morgan then exited her Chevy “and was standing near the driver’s side door when she was struck” by a 2007 Nissan Altima.
“Upon impact, the Nissan pushed the Chevy into the parked Toyota, then careened across the roadway, where it overturned in a nearby drainage ditch,” Grmusha said.
Morgan was found severely injured on the road and taken to Riverside University Medical Center. It was unclear whether she ever regained consciousness during the four days that preceded her succumbing to her injuries.
The Nissan driver, whose identity was not disclosed, suffered major injuries, none of which were life-threatening, and remains hospitalized in recovery, Grmusha said.
The Toyota driver, also not identified, was not hurt, he said.
It is unknown whether alcohol or drugs may have been factors in the wreck, according to the sergeant.
The investigation is ongoing.