A possible drunk driver who went the wrong way on Interstate 215 Wednesday slammed into another sedan, killing the 32-year-old man at the wheel, after narrowly missing other vehicles between Moreno Valley and Riverside.
The fatality occurred at 12:25 a.m. Wednesday on the southbound side of I-215, just north of Central Avenue in Riverside, according to the California Highway Patrol.
Officer Javier Navarro said CHP units were alerted shortly after midnight that a Mitsubishi Galant had entered the freeway’s southbound lanes while heading northbound at Cactus Avenue in Moreno Valley.
“The Mitsubishi continued the wrong way on the southbound side as CHP units attempted to locate it,” Navarro said. “The Mitsubishi (had) several misses with other vehicles. As the car passed Central Avenue, it was involved in a head-on crash with a Toyota Camry.”
Riverside Fire Department paramedics reached the location within a few minutes and pronounced the Toyota driver, identified as Raulder Sotelo of Riverside, dead at the scene.
The Mitsubishi driver, identified only as a 20-year-old Moreno Valley resident, suffered major injuries and was taken to a regional trauma center for treatment.
“Alcohol or drugs appear to be a factor in this crash,” Navarro said, adding that the investigation was ongoing.
Anyone with information about the case was asked to contact the CHP Riverside office at 951-324-7210.