A 22-year-old woman was fatally struck Thursday when she walked into traffic on the Moreno Valley (60) Freeway for reasons unknown.
Ernestine Jones of Moreno Valley was fatally injured just after 3 a.m. Thursday on the westbound 60, between Perris Boulevard and Indian Avenue in Moreno Valley, according to the California Highway Patrol.
Officer Javier Navarro said Jones began “walking in lanes” without explanation, and the driver of a Toyota Corolla was unable to stop when she appeared in his path.
The Toyota slammed into the victim, hurling her down an embankment along the right shoulder, where the motorist immediately stopped, Navarro said.
Riverside County Fire Department paramedics reached the location minutes later and pronounced the Jones dead at the scene.
The motorist, whose identity was not disclosed, was questioned by CHP officers, who determined he was “not impaired by alcohol or drugs,” Navarro said, adding that the man was permitted to leave in his car.
The entire westbound 60 was shut down for nearly two and a half hours while a preliminary investigation was conducted.
Anyone with information was asked to contact the CHP’s Riverside office at 951-637-8000.