A motorist who was fatally injured in a two-vehicle wreck on Interstate 15 in Murrieta during which he was ejected from his pickup truck was identified Wednesday as a 52-year-old San Jacinto resident.
Francisco Torres died in the crash shortly after 6 a.m. Tuesday on I-15, just south of Temecula Parkway, according to the California Highway Patrol.
The agency said Torres’ pickup and a Toyota Camry impacted in the No. 2 lane of the northbound side of the freeway, but the circumstances were still under investigation.
The pickup, which was apparently equipped with oversized tires, overturned into the center divider, and the victim was hurled out of the cab and flung onto the southbound shoulder.
CHP officers and Murrieta Fire & Rescue personnel reached the location within a few minutes, causing a temporary shutdown of both sides of I-15.
Torres was pronounced dead at the scene.
The Toyota driver, whose identity was not disclosed, suffered unspecified minor injuries, but it was unclear whether the party required hospitalization.
Officers opened lanes on both sides of the freeway and closed them again at intervals while the wreckage was cleared and a preliminary investigation was conducted.
All lanes were open and available by 10:30 a.m. Tuesday.
The cause of the crash was under investigation. Anyone with information was asked to contact the Temecula CHP office at 951-466-4300.