An autopsy was pending Monday on a 25-year-old motorist who was killed when he drove the wrong way on the Riverside (91) Freeway and plowed head-on into a big rig.
Abel Quintero of Lake Elsinore was fatally injured shortly before 6 a.m. Saturday on the westbound 91 at Maple Street, according to the California Highway Patrol.
Officer Javier Navarro said Quintero entered the freeway via an off-ramp in his Ford F-150 pickup and headed straight into westbound traffic while going eastbound at an unconfirmed speed.
The first drivers to encounter the misdirected motorist immediately called 911, Navarro said.
“The Ford continued the wrong way on westbound 91 as CHP units attempted to locate it,” the CHP spokesman said. “As the Ford passed Serfas Club Drive, it was involved in a head-on crash with a Volvo tractor-trailer.”
The impact stopped both vehicles within a couple hundred feet of where they collided. Navarro said debris from the pickup was flung across lanes, hitting a Mercedes Benz, whose driver was not hurt.
Corona Fire Department engine crews reached the location within a few minutes and pronounced Quintero dead at the scene. The trucker, identified only as a Moreno Valley man, suffered minor injuries and was taken to a regional trauma center for treatment. He’s expected to make a full recovery.
“At this time, alcohol or drugs are unknown factors in this crash,” Navarro said.
Quintero’s remains were awaiting examination by pathologists at the Riverside County Coroner’s Office Monday.
Anyone with information about the deadly collision was asked to contact the CHP’s Riverside office at 951-324-7210.