A 37-year-old man was killed and three other people injured in a three-vehicle collision near downtown Riverside triggered by a motorist allegedly driving under the influence of drugs, authorities said Thursday.
Isaac Isaiah Villalba of Redlands, 19, allegedly caused the wreck shortly after 6 p.m. Wednesday at the intersection of Market and Fifth streets, according to the Riverside Police Department.
Villalba was arrested and booked into the Robert Presley Detention Center Wednesday night on suspicion of DUI, second-degree murder, hit-and-run resulting in death and resisting arrest. He’s being held in lieu of $1 million bail.
Villalba was driving a Dodge Challenger southbound on Market Street at a “high rate of speed” when he slammed into the rear of a slower moving Honda Civic, pushing the sedan into northbound lanes, Riverside Police Department Sgt. Emilio Angulo said.
“The Honda collided head-on with a vehicle traveling northbound on Market,” Angulo said. “The Dodge continued and collided with another vehicle as it came to rest.”
Riverside Police Department Officer Ryan Railsback said Villalba attempted to flee the scene “and resisted officers with violence before being safely taken into custody.”
Christian Barragan of Riverside, who had been driving the Honda, was taken to Riverside Community Hospital in grave condition. He died from his injuries less than an hour alter.
Villalba and the other two drivers involved the collision suffered minor to moderate injuries and were taken to the same hospital for treatment. The suspect was cleared for booking later Wednesday night. The other parties hospitalized were expected to recover.
The intersection was completely shut down by the police department’s Major Accident Investigation Team for several hours while a preliminary investigation was conducted and the wreckage was cleared.
Anyone with information was asked to call the Major Accident Investigation Team investigators at 951-826-8771.