A motorist was killed when his compact SUV slammed into a traffic signal pole and caught fire in Winchester, authorities said Wednesday.
The crash happened at about 11:50 p.m. Tuesday at the intersection of Highway 79 and Holland Road, according to the California Highway Patrol.
The agency said the driver, whose identity was not immediately released, apparently lost control while traveling on the northbound 79 and careened into the pole, after which the SUV erupted in flames.
Witnesses were unable to help him.
Riverside County Fire Department crews reached the location within minutes and found the vehicle consumed by flames. The blaze was knocked down a short time later, and the victim was pronounced dead at the scene.
The northbound side of the 79 was shut down until about 4 a.m. Wednesday while the CHP conducted a preliminary investigation and the wreckage was cleared.