A man riding in a car that crashed while the driver was fleeing from California Highway Patrol officers Thursday in Moreno Valley was killed, while two other passengers were seriously injured.
The pursuit began just after 1 a.m. at Perris and Sunnymead boulevards, according to CHP Officer Javier Navarro.
He said a patrol officer observing the intersection spotted a Kia K900 going southbound on Perris plow through a steady red traffic signal without his headlights illuminated.
The officer initiated a traffic enforcement stop, but the motorist did not slow down, instead accelerating to 90 mph and “driving in a reckless manner through various streets,” Navarro said.
While racing down Gentian Avenue, headed east, the Kia driver, whose name was not disclosed, “lost control and collided with two parked vehicles,” according to the CHP spokesman.
“As a result of the crash, the three passengers in the Kia became trapped, requiring extrication,” he said. “The driver was quickly apprehended by personnel.”
Riverside County Fire Department paramedics provided treatment at the scene, and the passengers were taken to Riverside University Medical Center with major injuries. The right front-seat passenger, whose name wasn’t immediately released, died at the hospital a short time later.
The other parties were expected to recover.
It was unclear whether the driver was hospitalized or booked into jail.
Navarro said that he appeared to be intoxicated.